Convincing My Mate
by inominatenoname
Summary: The trials and tribulations of winning a stubborn panther's heart. Nekos.   Ichi/Grimm in that order! Now continuing!
1. Capture

Disclaimer: I hold no legal rights/possession of Bleach or it's characters and only write for fun- no profit!

Ever since the beginning, he had been praised for his lineage- one which commanded respect and displayed the prowess- the very **right **to lead their pack. He'd been primed from infancy on the ins and outs of being tribal chief, and for four cycles through the seasons had he proven his rightful place as leader, all for it to end like _this?_ Strung over some damn heathen's shoulder after being forcefully mated and bonded to the cursed being.

Grimmjow wanted to scream, to scratch, bite, curse and ultimately pummel the larger male into the ground his long, ice-blue locks dragged over, but sadly he barely had enough energy to stay conscious after the mating. Ah yes the "mating" he had not wanted to occur regardless who his partner would be. The bluenette simply did not feel ready: not for a mate to care for, much less cubs, after all, he already held the responsibility of an entire pack to watch over and he was not about to put that aside for a family. Besides, he had plenty of time to preserve his panther blood through offspring. With these priorities set, come the spring-time, more specifically mating-time, he kept his distance from all potentials by trekking further into the forest than the rest. His official reason being to keep watch, though the elders knew better, they always did. This turned out to be a major mistake.

Not a day in the new landscape he had encountered the current, and for some time to come, bane of his existence. After all, bonding was permanent as it was only done to ones supposed life-mate. Rather surprising seeing as how the ritual was quite easy to initiate. With just a deep bite to each partner's neck, a branding, the ceremony was complete and by the laws of their kind they became a mated pair no longer eligible to freely mate any other. At this moment, Grimmjow truly resented those laws.

As he watched the grass rush beneath him, another thought occurred to the panther hybrid: even if he managed to make it back to his pack, the others would never follow a submissive, '_Submissive!' _ he leered mentally in disgust, '_How long have I acted as the alpha to now be put off as a weakling submissive?' _and he could blame it all only on this barbarian.

The bluenette snarled and renewed his struggles, only to be rewarded with a tightened grip and warning growl from the orange lion hybrid. This did not deter him however as he fought viciously in the other's grasp, '_He has no idea who he is messing with!' _

Energy almost fully restored from his rage, he managed to break the larger's grip and lunge off the sturdy shoulder. The panther crouched down, baring his wickedly sharp teeth at the lion, tail lashing behind him. The tall, strongly muscled lion studied him, before his sharp ochre eyes glinted in amusement causing the bluenette to release an outraged hiss at not being taken seriously. But Grimmjow knew all too well how easily the other had taken him earlier and decided on a less violent method. Although the lion possessed more power and strength, the panther had speed and agility.

Before the other could blink, the panther began to rapidly ascend a nearby tree in order to escape the lion's clutches. He only stopped when he reached a solid branch some twenty feet up and smirked down at the other victoriously. The lion's smug look dropped and he roared his anger at his new mate's disobedience, "Come down NOW!" Grimmjow simply smirked down at the other, calling back mockingly, "Make me!" suppressing a giggle as he knew quite well lions were not known for their climbing ability, if they could climb at all.

He swung his legs merrily as the other glared up at him; he only needed to wait the other out and he could leave mate-mark be damned. Technically the bonding was only halfway completed since he had not marked his 'dominant'. He figured he could request his sweet cub sister Nel to craft a necklace for adequate cover over the mark. Then he would just pretend this whole incident never happened. His train of thought violently crashed when he noticed the lion had disappeared completely. He scanned the area with a critical eye, blue and green ears twitching anxiously when a sudden blunt pain erupted from the back of his skull and he lost consciousness.

The lion, who had been hiding behind a nearby tree at the panther's back, swiftly caught the body of his mate which had lost its balance along with its consciousness. Grinning down at his catch, the red head finished the journey to his family's den, eager to introduce them to his feisty new mate.

* * *

><p>Grimmjow startled from his forced sleep when he heard the loud cry of, "OH MASAKI! OUR LITTLE CUB HAS GROWN UP!"<p>

The bluenette glanced around his new surroundings seeing he was in a rather nice den. It was multi-leveled with stair-like protrusions in the wall connecting all three floors. He currently laid on the middle and main floor where the entrance, a large, well-maintained fire pit with a long rotating spit above it, and multiple doorways leading deeper into the den were located. He then observed the inhabitants: the damned lion who brought him here and what appeared to be his family- two young female cubs appearing to be around ten summers old though definitely not identical in appearance nor demeanor, an adult lioness with long locks the same shade as her son's, and the loud, burly, dark haired male assumed to be his captor's sire, "SOON HE WILL LEAVE THE DEN TO MAKE A PRIDE OF HIS OWN WITH HIS BEAUTIFUL NEW-" the meaty sound of a foot connecting with the side of the large male's head cut off his fanatical ravings. Grimmjow watched in astonishment as the younger male continued to stomp on the elder while growling at him to stop being so embarrassing. In his own society the elders were to be respected, though none of them were half as eccentric as this one.

A gentle touch brought his attention from the spectacle before him. His eyes met with the serene visage of who he figured was the mother, her voice sweet and genuine, "Hello, I'm Masaki, Ichigo's mother,"-'_So his name is Ichigo then,'-_"these are my daughters Yuzu," she motioned to the light, strawberry blonde cub who seemed as sweet-natured as her mother, "and Karin," pointing to the more serious of the two, she had her father's pitch black hair. All three females had light-tan colored ears atop their heads, though the stripe of color at the tip varied with hair color from Karin's black, Yuzu's light brown and Masaki's soft orange. The same held true for their tails, colors varying at the tuft of fur at the tip. Masaki completely ignored the males' fighting, so he figured it was a regular occurrence.

Although he felt quite peeved at her son, he saw no reason to be rude to her. He answered, "I'm Grimmjow, leader of the nearby tribe of panthers," he added the last part with a tad bit of resentment. He supposed he was now the ex-leader. The elder male previously brawling with his son jumped to his side exclaiming, "My name is Isshin, but seeing as how you are my son's mate-," Grimmjow cringed at the word, "-you can call me dad!" The panther laughed weakly, planning ways to escape all the while. Ichigo, as the male was now identified as, proudly strode to his side and wrapped an arm around his waist, pulling him close, "I'm going to take my mate to our room to rest. We'll see you all at dinner," and proceeded to drag him off to do just that.

When they passed the curtain separating Ichigo's room from the others, Grimmjow tore himself from the lion's grasp and viscously hissed, "Who the hell do you think you are? I was taught that a mate-bond was to be consensual, so who are you to bring me here acting as if all is fine and normal?" Livid was too mild a word to describe his feelings on the matter.

The lion surprised him with an apologetic look, "I'm sorry. Mating season already strips some of my control, but I've never taken someone who was unwilling," the red head took a deep whiff of the bluenette's scent, "It's your scent. I've never smelled something so intoxicating. I just couldn't control myself," he placed a clawed hand gently on the panther's cheek, staring into the stunningly gorgeous blue eyes, "As you know, we can discern the one who is meant to be our mate by their scent. Well, yours proves to me that you are that one. My mate," Grimmjow swatted the hand from his cheek and retorted, "If that is so, why don't I feel this uncontrollable attraction for yours? It appeals to me no more than any of my friends' scents do," Ichigo chuckled, "We both know that's a lie. During our mating you sure acted attracted," Grimmjow's face flushed bright red, "Shut up!" Ichigo only laughed harder as he dodged a claw swipe and watched the other bury his crimson face in the bed of fur situated in the center of his room, tail encircling his waist.

Ichigo slipped next to the panther, once again wrapping his arm around him as well as his tail and nuzzling into the warm neck, "I wan't kidding about resting before. I'm beat!" When he received no answer, he gently turned his partner over to discover he had fallen asleep already. With a soft smile, he cuddled him closer and followed his example.

Two pairs of ears twitched, one set blue and green, the other golden tan and orange as the sound of an argument reached them, "But they're SOO cute! I don't want to disturb them!" a sweet, soprano voice whined. A duller, unimpressed voice answered, "He said that he would see us for dinner, probably for us all to get better acquainted to Grimmjow, and you know if we don't wake them, dad'll barge in there soon." Just as she said the last words, feet were heard bounding up the stone stairs, curtain flinging aside with a raucous cry of "ICHIGO! PROVE YOU CAN PROTECT YOUR MATE!" Isshin flying towards the bed.

A foot to the stomach stopped him cold; he collapsed to the floor gasping for breath, "Excellent *_wheeze* _work my _*hack* _boy!" At that, Karin strolled in, walking over her father's back, nonchalantly shoving his face into the floor saying, "Supper's ready," and leaving while dragging Isshin behind her. "Wow! Your sister's as tough as you are!" Grimmjow laughed.

"Yeah," Ichigo laughed back, re-wrapping his arms around the other's middle and nuzzling the mating mark on his neck. Grimmjow shivered in reaction before shoving the lion away, "Don't think I've forgiven you, I'm definitely still pissed!" he snarled, throwing the curtain aside and skulking down the stairs angrily, the fur of his tail flared out, proving his agitation further. "Darn, I'd hoped he HAD," Ichigo grumbled to himself, following the other to the dining area.

"Hello boys," Masaki greeted in her usual charming manner. They all gathered around the roomy fire pit to take part of the roasted kill caught earlier. Not two bites in Isshin asked, "So, is Grimmjow with kittens yet?" said panther promptly began to violently choke on his food. "DAD!" Ichigo reprimanded as he slapped Grimmjow's back to dislodge the choking hazard. "Well dear, that is a perfectly normal question to ask," his mother calmly explained, then turned to Isshin with a slightly disapproving, "Albeit much too early," Isshin rubbed the back of his head and laughed awkwardly. "Sorry boys, just excited to be a grandfather," Grimmjow glared at Ichigo after his windpipe cleared. He knew the gender(s) of the pair did not affect the ability to kit, the only thing that mattered was that the pair had bonded properly. Since their bond remained incomplete, there was no chance he was pregnant at the moment.

Ichigo laughed nervously at the murderous look the panther wore and decided distraction to be the best option at the moment, "Wow, this is delicious! You are excellent cooks, mom, Yuzu," Yuzu beamed at the compliment before adding, only trying to help and too young to understand the implications of the offer, "Thank you! If you want Grimm-chan, I can show you how we prepare it!" Grimmjow's glare only intensified. He had been among the best hunters in his clan. Now he was expected to wait in the den and prepare the food for his 'dominant'? Grimmjow had one answer to that, '_Like __**hell,' **_Ichigo winced as he caught sight of the sour look on the panther's face: thankfully, holding his tongue. Grimmjow bit back his mental retort and strained out, "That is very kind of you Yuzu," knowing the youngling meant no offense. Not noticing the bluenette's discontent, the little strawberry blonde giggled in delight that she would get to bond with their new pack member.

Despite the rough start, the rest of the meal went off without a hitch. The girls volunteered to show Grimmjow around the den and enthusiastically dragged him away, though he didn't fight it as he was rapidly growing used to this treatment. After the three completely disappeared from the room, Masaki and Isshin shot their son a rather severe look, "Sit down," Isshin ordered his son, all previous goofiness gone.

"What were you **thinking**?" Isshin growled, "I see no mating-mark on you, so I can only assume you'd not given the panther a choice! Do you realize how serious this is? How will the rest of the clan react when they find out-" he was silenced by a soft hand on his shoulder. Masaki continued where he'd cut off, "Now Ichigo, I know it is not easy to contain instinct, especially at your age, but you know this is unacceptable, "her voice calm yet chastising, "You are supposed to court your mate if they are not immediately willing. You know this." Ichigo hung his head in shame. He knew this well; his shame augmented by the fact that the very people scolding him had originally taught the fact to him.

He tried to defend his position, "He is nomadic. Had I not acted, I may have never seen him again and my instincts practically screamed that he was to be my mate!" His parents' stern looks softened slightly, Masaki sighed, "Well, what is done is done. Now you can only repair the damage," Isshin added in, "Court him properly so that he will complete the bonding for both your sakes," he slid a hand down his face in exhaustion. Ichigo took that as his cue to leave.

"That boy," Isshin huffed. Masaki smiled her sweet smile at him, "Oh you know how it is at that age! Ichigo has a heart of gold and I have no doubt he will make a loving, protective mate. You saw how those two interacted, how they looked at each other- they are _perfect _for one another," Isshin smiled fondly at his love and could only agree wholeheartedly.

* * *

><p>Ichigo searched the spacious den for his mate in order to begin making amends. He figured he should begin the treacherous journey ahead by getting to know the bluenette and telling him more about himself in return. He winced when he realized he truly knew virtually nothing of the other beyond his name and breed, <em>'I have a lot of work to do.' <em>When he found him, he encountered the rather adorable sight of the panther painting on the cave wall with the two young lionesses. Yuzu had painted flowers with smiley faces, Karin drew herself and her friends playing with the woven ball mother had made for her that she often kicked around and batted, and Ichigo cringed when he saw Grimmjow's picture, one which reinforced his displeasure earlier; he drew himself hunting a large prey animal- gory details and all. Though the most disturbing feature of the drawing had to be the coloring of the beast- orange. Ichigo cringed harder. The task ahead suddenly seemed all the more daunting

The young lion mustered up his courage and entered the room, "So, how do you like your new home?" When the panther's shoulders stiffened and he stopped painting, Ichigo knew he said exactly the wrong thing. Grimmjow answered in a surprisingly controlled manner, "Your home is very impressive," his cerulean eyes clearly told Ichigo he had more to say, but he would resist doing so in front of the cubs.

Despite the tension, Ichigo released a pleased smile as he recognized how good Grimmjow was with and around children. His mind swam with visions of orange haired and blue haired, cat-eared toddlers joyfully playing with their beautiful mother in a den of their own and then excitedly pouncing on their father, himself, after he'd come home from a difficult hunt, prize in hand for his family. The panther and mother of his cubs slinking up to nuzzle his neck and rub cheeks with him while purring happily.

His lovely daydream was cut short by a growl and a kick that sent him tumbling to the floor in astonishment. He looked up to see an ill-tempered Grimmjow in the place of the affectionate one in the daydream to his extreme disappointment. He never thought too deeply on the matter of having a family of his own, but in that instance he realized he'd never desired anything more in his entire life. And if he ever wanted the vision to come true, he had to gain the bluenette's respect, trust, and love. Only after that could he achieve a mutual mating mark and the wonderful future he had envisioned. With this in mind, Ichigo stood back up and tried his hardest to be polite in asking, "What the hell was that for?" Well he did say _tried._

"You had this dopey look on your face and wouldn't respond. The twins left. We need to talk," the panther answered with ire. "I get it. You couldn't beat back instinct- that's normal, but that doesn't mean I'll stay here due to that one impulsive move on your part. I have a pack to lead who are wondering where the hell I am at the moment, not to mention a cub sibling that I care for personally. Now, if you don't mind," the panther attempted to pass the lion and leave the room. An iron grip on his arm stopped him, "You are not going **anywhere**," Ichigo snarled. Grimmjow sneered back, "_Watch _me," Ichigo roared his fury and viciously pinned the disobedient bluenette to the wall behind him, "You are **my** mate, **my **submissive! You answer to **me**!"

Something seemed snap in Grimmjow. He began to hiss, spit, writhe and snarl, trying with all his might to break the larger male's grip. The unwavering hold reminded him that the lion was indeed stronger and after several minutes of struggling, he tired himself out. Ichigo leaned in close and spoke in a tone which left no room for argument, "I will take you to your village so that you may tie up the loose ends of your absence, but you **will **come back here with me afterwards, otherwise I'll drag you back," Ichigo knew that the panther would not want the last impression of himself left to the people he had led to be of him kicking and screaming as his dominant easily overpowered him- it would be humiliating for both himself and the people who looked up to him.

Grimmjow scowled as he considered his options, neither prospects looking very nice as they both would end in his humiliation, but not going back at all definitely wasn't a choice; he had to. No matter how embarrassing, "Fine," he snarled, "but you will not rush me along. After all, I will be saying goodbye to my family and my life with them." Ichigo finally felt the guilt of his actions sink in.

He looked his reluctant mate in the eye and tried to reassure him, "I know this is a huge change, but everyone goes through at least one in his or her life, usually for this purpose in fact. It's alright to feel unsure or scared; change is a good thing," when he didn't get even a glance, he continued in a strong voice full of sincerity, "And I promise you, I will do whatever I can to make you happy in our new life together," Grimmjow only gave him a hollow look and whispered, "If that were true, you would let me leave," this shocked Ichigo enough to loosen his grip. The panther trudged away dejectedly.

* * *

><p>After ensuring the panther remained in the den (the stubborn male had chosen to sleep in an extra room as far from Ichigo's as possible), he went to his parents in order to tell them of tomorrow's plan to visit Grimmjow's tribe before they left. Their reactions were quite mixed, "Are you sure you can keep track of him out there? I thought you had to knock him out to get him here in the first place and by the arguments I've overheard, you're not getting along any better now," Isshin was doubtful. Masaki was supportive, "He did say that the panthers would not stay in the area forever, so this trip is necessary. Besides, I think this is a chance to better your relationship Ichigo, but do be careful and watch over your mate," she probably meant for dangers, but he'd more likely be watching him to keep him from slipping away into the forest. As the young lion settled down for the night, something occurred to him- after having napped with his warm mate in his arms, Ichigo found it unpleasant to sleep without him: yet another reason to gain the blue-eyed male's favor.<p>

The next day came and after breakfast, Ichigo and Grimmjow left the den to seek out the later's previous home. Grimmjow's bright blue eyes darted around as he thought. He knew his best choice at this point was to accept his fate with grace, despite how much he really didn't want to. He would rather leave on a positive note than to shame his tribe and himself. He then unenthusiastically began to mull over what needed to be done before his permanent departure.

It astounded Ichigo that the other had not tried to elude him yet, but he kept on guard for that eventuality. Sooner than he expected, they came upon the not-so-obviously temporary settlement. Various hybrids with a wide-range of physical features- really, no two looked alike- milled around the small grass-roofed huts. At Ichigo's confused look, Grimmjow explained, "What makes a panther a panther is natural stealth, speed, climbing ability and unique facial markings we are all born with. That is the reason we all look so varied in appearance. The houses are so nicely built because we stay in places for at least a month at a time. That time is almost up and we- I mean they, will be leaving this time next week," the bluenette saddened at this admittance; they really would be leaving without him.

Ichigo noticed his mate's sorrow and grasped the other's clawed hand in his own, though it hardly helped. Since Ichigo had yet to be marked by him, Grimmjow knew that he would need to play the role as willing, loving mate very convincingly. He wouldn't like it, but it was necessary in order to avoid confrontation and further loss of respect. He sighed upon reaching the village, _'Here goes,' _and pressed himself into the red head's side to feign fondness.

Ichigo blinked down at the other male in pleasant surprise, completely ignorant of the other's true intentions. A ripple seemed to go through the settlement at their arrival and soon almost everyone dropped what they were doing to greet their returning leader. "Where on Earth have you been?" one of the elders cried, "We were all so worried! We thought you'd been killed!" another added in. Grimmjow took a deep breath to mentally prepare himself and responded in what he hoped to be a jovial manner, "I have found my mate," he raised their joined hands for emphasis, "I met his family. I'm sorry for worrying you all," he ended brokenly, hoping they mistook it for guilt.

The bluenette waited nervously for their response and was taken aback by the loud cheer from the crowd, "How wonderful!" a female elder exclaimed, "By the way you would always avoid everyone during the season, we'd begun to think you would never mate! This is a grand occasion, let's celebrate!" The crowd agreed emphatically and began to prepare for the celebration. A powerful hug brought him from his stupor. He looked up to see the joyful ochre eyes of the one he just had admitted to being his mate, "See! They're happy for us! Why can't you be?" Grimmjow drew his hand back to swipe at the bold lion, but resisted the urge when a familiar face approached them, "Now I see why you wouldn't mate with me, you're a little submissive!" a deep violet-haired, orchid-eyed hybrid sneered derisively. The large purple raindrops on both cheeks proved her a panther as well.

Grimmjow growled low in his throat and bit out, "Hello Cirucci, you're definitely one I did not miss during my absence," Ichigo smirked as he saw the outrage on the spiteful female's face. She "Hmmph!," -ed and turned away with her nose high in the air. His attention was brought back to his own panther when he felt himself being pulled deeper into the community. The pair received numerous congratulations and well wishes from everyone they passed. Ichigo noticed an interesting quirk of the society: he figured the whole population would be panthers, but that was not the case. Other species of cats were bustling around as well, though they were notably in the minority. Noticing the baffled look, Grimmjow patiently explained, "Our pack has no problem with taking in other species. It happens, usually as a result of mating," Ichigo smiled at his mate's helpfulness. It was nice to get along with him instead of fighting all the time.

They stopped in front of one of the nicer huts near the center of the village. As Grimmjow pulled aside the grass curtain a small blur of aquamarine flew into his chest. The coloring actually turned out to be the hair of a small panther cub. She buried her face into the older panther's chest and sobbed, "BBRRRUUUDDDEERR! BRUDDER, NEL MWISSED YOU SOOO MUCH! WHY DID JOO LEAVE NEL? WHY?" she would have continued her wailing if a strong embrace and comforting nuzzle hadn't soothed her, "Hush now Nel. I'm sorry I couldn't return sooner, but there is a good reason for that," the older sibling gently nudged the younger into turning her head to face Ichigo.

The tiny girl gaped up at the bigger male, "Whoozat?" Grimmjow sighed before responding, "The new member of our family." She stared up at the other curiously from her position in her older brother's arms. Upon meeting his golden brown eyes, she quickly buried her face in Grimmjow's chest again.

Ichigo smiled down at the cub; he found her adorable. He tried to be as nonthreatening as possible and carefully approached the pair, "My name is Ichigo. I look a bit different to you because you've probably never seen a lion hybrid before. You know, I have two younger sisters myself," at the wide hopeful look he received he continued, "I'm sure they would love to play with you anytime," the little girl's hazel eyes lit up and she squealed in delight. Grimmjow blinked in surprise at the implications the offer carried. Well, that was one thing he no longer had to worry about; his sister was welcome to stay with him. He had been prepared to fight tooth and nail for that right, but it was no longer necessary. He gave the lion a small, grateful smile, which left the other practically glowing.

After seeing how nice this "lie-yon" was, Nel let her natural curiosity show. She really wanted to touch the newcomer's hair. She'd never seen anything like it before: a bright orange, wild and sticking up everywhere. When she asked, Ichigo claimed his hair just grew like that; it was his natural 'mane'.

"Pwease big brudder! Can I touch his mane?" Grimmjow sighed, "You'll have to ask Ichigo if that's alright." The giant pleading, tearing hazel eyes turned to said lion. Even her lower lip wobbled. Ichigo chuckled at the pathetic sight and lifted her up onto his shoulders drawing another squeal.

As the three turned from the house (Nel still gleefully riding Ichigo's broad shoulders), another familiar face approached, "So this is why the village is abuzz- wild, unpredictable, fiercely opposed to mating Grimmjow has finally decided to settle down. I thought I'd never live to see the day," the dry comment originated from a very pale panther hybrid with shoulder-length black hair with matching ears and tail, large, intelligent green eyes and vertical blackish green lines under his eyes which streaked down both cheeks.

By the look on Grimmjow's face, he did not appreciate the sentiment, "Like you're one to talk Ulquiorra! Every day I see you still in the village I'm shocked. I've expected you to leave and go out on your own for years!" The two males stared each other down for a bit before a small grin and minuscule tilting of the black lips appeared on each of their faces. Then the green-eyed male spoke again, "I suppose we were both wrong then. I found someone this season as well," Grimmjow's eyes widened as a lovely auburn-haired cheetah hybrid with big gray eyes came out from behind the male's back. Her voice cheerful, "Hi! I'm Orihime! It's so nice to meet you! So you're the leader here? I expected some harsh old person, but you're really pretty and I've heard from the other's that you're a fair leader and you must be his mate~ Wow! I've never seen a lion hybrid before-" at that point in her rambling, Ulquiorra gently put his hand over her mouth.

Grimmjow blinked a few times, stunned, then burst out laughing, "She's your complete opposite! How in the world did that happen?" The glower the other panther wore did nothing but increase the bluenette's mirth. The laughter immediately choked and died at the next comment though, "At least I am on top," now the roles were reversed with Grimmjow sending Ulquiorra a dirty look, tail lashing as the brunette let loose barely audible snickers.

Although Ichigo was not happy about it, they stayed overnight in Grimmjow and Nel's home since the village refused to let them leave before the promised party. The next day Grimmjow showed Ichigo all around his soon to be ex-home, pointing out the craft places and introducing him to just about everyone they passed. Dusk arrived and while Grimmjow was showing Ichigo the healer's place, someone rushed over to them.

"There you are!" the female elder from before cried, "Come! We've a party and you two are the guests of honor!" The younger hybrids followed her, Nel excitedly running around their feet, to an area just outside of the settlement. Even though he was far from enthused for the purpose of the party, Grimmjow's face lit up when his eyes fell upon the setup. Numerous lanterns lit by glow worms strung across the trees and even more exciting were the small bridges along side them and connecting the watch stations placed in various positions high up all around them. Nel's shriek of delight mirrored his feelings perfectly, "Wow! Do you guys always do all this for celebrations?" Ichigo wondered aloud.

"No," Grimmjow breathed, "this is reserved for very special occasions because of all the work that goes into it, especially since we never stay too long anywhere." Grimmjow felt truly touched that his village had done such a thing for him. Then, he realized, this was not only a celebration of his mating, it was also for his leaving; they knew.

After all the effort they'd put into this he decided that he needed to have the greatest time possible for their sake. Hopefully he could fool himself too. "Come on!" he laughed while gripping the lion's hand, "We traditionally play until the feast is ready!" a flabbergasted Ichigo followed behind. Lucky for Ichigo, there were hanging ladders set up for the non-climbing breeds of cat. He did his best to catch his teasing mate, "Oh come on! You'll never get me moving that slow!" but truly the trees were a panther's domain. His ego hurt a bit, but it was certainly a treat to see his mate so lighthearted.

The food was finally put out and large rocks and logs situated all around were used as chairs with Ichigo and Grimmjow placed in the center. Many of the cubs ran around everywhere and it seemed the whole village had attended. Before they began to eat, someone proposed a toast, "Friends and family, we are here in celebration to honor our strong, young leader. This is a gathering of happiness for he has finally found his other half, his life-mate," Grimmjow rolled his eyes at this, "but it is also a gathering of sadness for he will be leaving us," there were a number of startled gasps from the ones who figured the lion a new resident, "Yes, we take in the mates of our citizens, we also must remember that we let go of the same amount to live with their mates elsewhere. Though, let us not dread his departure. Instead let us think of the happy future that awaits him and his new family. Now, this is a night of festivity, so let us feast!" Everyone supported the notion and dug in.

Half way through his meal (which took much longer than it should have because of the hard decision he'd just made) Grimmjow stood up to speak, "Since I am leaving, it's required I take care of an important matter: the passing on of my leadership," all eyes were now on him.

"I've really been stressing over who I should leave in my place as there are many potential candidates. Since I've never been one to revel in the dramatics, I'll just tell you," the throng of hybrids leaned closer expectantly. Grimmjow smirked, "I've chosen Ulquiorra," the crowd reverberated in shock at the news. The two were rivals, and had been ever since they'd first met as cubs. The largest reason for their dueling was that both had competed for leadership over the tribe. After Grimmjow had been chosen, they figured the rivalry would fizzle out, but it only grew, "Not all of you are aware of this, but on more than one occasion in my rule I've asked Ulquiorra for his opinion or aid on an issue. He is very intelligent and always levelheaded so he makes an excellent problem-solver. My biggest reservation about choosing him is his coldness. From growing up with him I know he cares about the village and its people, its just not as apparent as it should be for chief," the crowd murmured in agreement, "I feel confident in my choice though because I have met his fair mate and seen her vivacity. As such, I believe she will balance Ulquiorra out nicely. I wish them both great luck in leading, guiding, and watching over all of you and have faith Ulquiorra will make an excellent chief," convinced by Grimmjow's logic the crowd once again cheered, though this time for their newly appointed leader.

The majority of the hybrids flocked around Ulquiorra, curious of his reaction and wanting to hear what he thought of this bestowal. They were disappointed to see him as stoic as always. As the attention turned from him, Grimmjow sat back down at Ichigo's side and heaved a huge sigh. Ichigo tried to support him, "By your words of him, you have made a sound decision," Grimmjow sighed again, "I was being completely truthful; Ulquiorra is the best choice. That doesn't make it much easier though- I had expected to be leader for far longer," Ichigo really did not know what to say to that, so he pulled the other closer.

Soon after, a huge blazing bonfire burst to life and the musicians of the village began to play their drums, flutes, tambourines, and every other instrument that they had crafted and mastered. The music quickly drew many to dance. Grimmjow felt content to watch, though everyone else seemed to have a different idea, "Come! Dance with your mate Grimm-chan!," Orihime called from where she had forced Ulquiorra out. The crowd echoed her request. The blue panther had decided to ignore them. That plan flew out the window when Ichigo drug him closer to the dancing. He glared at the lion in contempt. Ichigo interrupted the glare with a kiss to the tip of the panther's nose, which left him blinking and twitching his ears in bewilderment. The collective "Aww!" from the spectators did nothing to help.

As he danced with Ichigo he had to grudgingly admit to himself that he really was having a lot of fun- not that he'd tell the lion that. They danced together quite well, seeming to know what the other had planned to do next and accommodating appropriately.

The rapid song finished and Grimmjow just then noticed the position himself and Ichigo had finished in: he'd been tightly pressed into the lion's chest in a slight dip, their faces mere inches apart, and Ichigo's still in motion. His eyes fell shut at the soft press of the other's lips to his own; the barest hint of a purr rumbled in his chest.

He was forcefully brought back to reality by a chorus of happy cries, more enthusiastic "AWWW!" 's, and loud whistles of encouragement. He jerked free of the lion's arms and stumbled back, face pink and ears pressed tightly to his head as he fought the urge to run and hide in embarrassment. The coos doubled in volume. Ulquiorra's sudden presence saved him from further ridicule and he immediately followed the other panther to a quieter area.

"You always did like to defy expectations," Ulquiorra began, "I myself had not anticipated your choosing me for one second and…" he had trouble getting the last part out.

Grimmjow smiled at his old rival, and now that he thought about it, friend, "You're welcome,"

Startled green eyes flashed up to his and the owner allowed a small smile to show.

The party continued late into the night. Cubs valiantly tried to stay awake, but continuously nodded off only to jump right back up to avoid being put to bed. Their parents did not agree, and after each and every cub gave their former leader a big hug and an "I'll miss you Gwimm!" they were put to bed, Grimmjow grinned at the affection of the younglings. Their parents gave him a respectful nod, little bow, or strong hug from the more familiar.

The time to depart finally came much to the bluenette's displeasure and he received each and every farewell with a heavy heart.

Seeing the glum atmosphere, the newly appointed leader decided something, "We will return here mid-summer next year. By then we should see your first litter Grimmjow. Right Ichigo?" The grinning red head gave an emphatic nod while his mate sputtered in shock, both elated at the promise and flustered at the assumption. The remaining hybrids roared their assent.


	2. Methods

Disclaimer: I hold no legal rights/possessions of Bleach or its characters and only write for fun- no profit!

The farewell celebration at the panther's home village seemed to slightly ease the tension between the newly mated pair, but Grimmjow still acted far from loving. Experiencing a tolerant and more cuddly Grimmjow that night, Ichigo became very disappointed to see the bluenette immediately wrench out of his arms as though burned the moment the two (along with little Nel who was nestled comfortably in her big brothers arms) lost sight of the settlement. It dawned on him that the affection Grimmjow had shown was nothing more than a clever ruse used to reassure his tribe and retain his pride. Ichigo felt rather stupid and upset for not recognizing it earlier, not to mention hurt. He could not be too put out though because he knew for a fact that the kiss they had shared and the panther's reaction to it were genuine. He just _knew _they were. With this spark of hope, he began the courting of his life-mate; he would succeed, he had to in order to achieve their shared happiness.

**First method: Cuddling**

An obvious way of saying, 'Hey, I like you and want to spend more time with you,' is of course touching: innocent touches such as a caress to the face and hair, light kisses, nuzzling, hugging, rubbing cheeks and ultimately cuddling. Unfortunately, the retaliation Grimmjow always met such touches with acted as a major deterrent. Heck! he'd tried to bite him a couple of times (and not in the way Ichigo was aiming for). Thus, it was (wisely) decided this method should be saved for later on.

**Second method: Hunting**

One way a dominant traditionally courts their submissive is by proving they can provide for the other and in extension, their future cubs. With this in mind, Ichigo went out to hunt (not before asking his family to watch out for any escape attempts by the panther of course). Although many hybrids used weapons- ones they could forge from their surroundings, never like the strange, loud ones of man- his kind in particular viewed them as a weakness and shunned their use. Thus, he hunted using only his teeth, claws, and brute strength.

The red head combed the area for the largest and most impressive prey animal he could find. For the best chance, he avoided the forest which prominently housed smaller game and stuck to his natural hunting zone: the savannah. Despite his rather loud coloring, he blended in well with the brush and bided his time, waiting for the perfect prize. About an hour later, his patience was rewarded with the arrival of a large (over 300 pounds he'd figured), healthy oryx, a type of large antelope with white and black markings on its face and midway down around each leg, but more importantly, donning wickedly ridged horns half the length of its own height.

He watched cautiously as the beast grazed and waited until it turned its back to him completely before making his strike. The lion hybrid roared as he landed on the animal's back, arms wrapped securely around its neck to keep from flying off the panicking oryx. Using his colossal strength, both as a result of his breed and personal training and brawling over the years, Ichigo tightened his grip even further and twisted his body in a quick, brutal jerking motion resulting in the telltale '_**CRACK!' **_of the unfortunate creature's neck.

It fell hard to the ground. Victorious, Ichigo set out on the long drag home.

The red head returned, confident his panther would be pleased. How wrong he was. After calling Grimmjow into the main room, Ichigo began to arrogantly circle his kill, waiting for the approval of his intended. The blue-eyed male could not hide his shock at the sheer mass of the captured prey, deadly horns and all, but he did not like the reason for this display: not one bit. Although his instincts purred in approval at the lion's strength and dependability, his pride roared in outrage that he could hunt for himself as he had for so many others. Just as he was about to voice his displeasure, Ichigo's family trailed in, "Wow! We never have oryx! What's the occasion?" the raven haired lioness acted uncharacteristically enthusiastic at the sight of their next meal. Her parents knew what the 'occasion' was of course, "You'll understand when you're older dear. Do not trouble yourself with why, you still get to partake of it either way," her mother evaded.

"Ooo!" the other twin cried, "Now we can teach Grimm-chan how we cook it, right mama?" Masaki smiled and answered, knowing the panther's feelings on the issue, "Sure, if Grimmjow-kun wants to that is," Helping prepare food the lion had just caught for him certainly did throw salt on the gaping wound in his pride, but he really couldn't resist the big, deep brown eyes of the cub and his own younger sister surely wasn't helping, "That soundz like lots of fun! Can Nel help too? Pwease?" Yuzu responded, "Sure! The more the merrier! Grimm-chan?" Now he had two adorable begging looks!

His resistance easily crumbled, "Sure," and Grimmjow allowed himself to be dragged to the kitchen. Ichigo proudly drug the beast in behind them. He startled when he caught the vindictive look the panther sent him along with a sharp, yet quiet hiss. Ichigo knew then- he still had a long way to go, and he wasn't too confident that any progress had been made so far.

**Third method: Dancing**

Ichigo sat in his room, sadly without his lovely mate as he had for the last several nights, trying with all his might to come up with a new strategy to gain the bluenette's favor, '_What haven't I tried?' _He realized that was much too broad a question; there were countless things he had not tried yet, whether they'd be successful or not would be a whole new line of thought, '_Ok, when have I gotten the best response from him?' _Their mating really didn't count since Ichigo had simply taken him, though the act was far from rape as the instinct to mate had driven the panther as well. Then it hit the lion, "The kiss!" he gasped.

At the farewell celebration in the panther's home village they had shared a sweet, and most importantly consensual, kiss. And what led up to that glorious moment? '_DANCING!' _He now had a game plan.

Grimmjow startled awake when strange noises traveled into his sensitive, twitching ears. He rubbed his eyes sleepily before slipping out of bed to find the source of the ruckus. In order to be as far from the persistent lion as possible in this den, the blue panther had chosen a room on the lowest floor where much of the supplies were kept and lucky for him, a few spare bedrooms. Upon reaching the main floor, his brilliant blue eyes caught sight of firelight pouring in through the large entrance. He went to explore and found the source to be several torches set up in a wide circle, creating a hemisphere of light within night's darkness. The three cubs and eldest lions were playing instruments: Nel happily banging away on a simple bongo with Karin playing on a more complex model next to her while trying to instruct the little imp, Yuzu skillfully wielding a wooden pan flute, Isshin dancing around with his lute, and Masaki delicately plucking the strings of large harp. Grimmjow couldn't believe he had not seen the elegant string instrument until now and had no idea how they had acquired such a rarity.

Albeit strange, the combination actually sounded pretty decent all together, even his little sister's erratic beats fit in nicely, yet something bugged the older panther, _'Where's the jackass?' _Grimmjow got his answer when he felt a grip on his wrist quickly turn and pull him into a broad chest. A husky voice whispered into his azure viridescent ear, "Hey," Grimmjow stubbornly resisted the urge to shiver, "May I have this dance?" About to refuse, the decision was made for him when the orange lion began to pull them into step with the music, refusing to loosen his hold around Grimmjow even for an instance.

"Look! They're dancing! It's working!" Yuzu cried happily. Luckily the music covered her comment from the couple's ears, "Shh Yuzu! We see that," Karin hushed then ordered, "And keep playing!" Yuzu fumbled the instrument back up to her mouth and promptly resumed her part. Nel giggled happily; she was having so much fun and she bet her brother was too!

"Now aren't they precious!" Masaki cooed to her dark-haired mate. Isshin smiled, but then as the dancing pair turned he caught the irate expression on the bluenette's face, '_Tread carefully my son,' _ "Yes love, they certainly are!"

Ichigo felt his excitement build as the song finally came to a close- the moment he had been waiting for. He drew his mate back into a dip and leaned forward to claim his prize: the soft lips he had not tasted in what felt like a millennia. His golden sepia eyes fell shut, then popped open as something caught his ankle and ripped his feet out from under him. He looked up from his position on the ground in astonishment to see spiteful cerulean eyes.

'_Too soon, my son,' _Isshin thought, cringing as he saw his son's intended swiftly trip the young lion in his distracted state. He winced when he caught the wrathful scowl on the panther's face before he stormed back into the den, _'Much too soon,'_

**Fourth method: Playing**

After giving his obstinate mate a few days to cool down, Ichigo approached, "Grimm," the addressed male looked up in curiosity and wariness, "You must be bored huh?" A sneer grew on the panther's face, "You just noticed?" Keeping his cool, Ichigo initiated his plan, "Well, I thought it would be fun for us to play," when the panther's expression became more critical and suspicious, the young lion used his ace, "I figured it would be a two-for-one; we alleviate the boredom and you have the chance of knocking me around some," Ichigo smirked discretely when he saw the panther grin mischievously in agreement.

The two young hybrids arrived at a large room in the den, spacious enough to fight. They squared off against one another, Ichigo taking a fierce, upright stance with his legs wide for support and arms stretched out and ready, while Grimmjow crouched down with one leg straight off to the side for balance, hands braced on the floor. Golden brown and blue eyes locked, waiting- daring each other to make the first move. After a minute, which seemed much, much longer, the lion lost this patience. Ichigo dashed towards the panther, expecting an easy victory; however, this was not the case. When the larger male reached just three feet away from his opponent, leaning forward to strike, the bluenette pushed his hands hard against the ground, propelling himself up in the air and flipping gracefully over the lion's head. Before he reached the ground, he kicked the broad back of his competitor hard sending Ichigo stumbling forward. Ichigo spun rapidly to face the other, eyes wide in awe before narrowing in concentration, _'This should be fun.'_

He lunged at the bluenette and swung, missing as the form of his mate nimbly dodged his arm and danced away with a grin. Ichigo growled in challenge. This pattern carried on for awhile: Ichigo letting loose harsh, powerful strikes only for Grimmjow to effortlessly dodge, counterstrike, and put distance between them. Ichigo would need a strategy since blindly attacking wasn't working, _'I'm stronger; if I force him to stay close, I win!' _On the next attack, the young lion attacked as normal, but he put less vigor into it so that he could grab his opponent when he came closer to counter. Grimmjow yowled in surprise and began to struggle in the lion's grasp causing them to trip. The bluenette quickly took advantage of their fall by maneuvering so that he landed on top. He gave a smug look down at the lion, but the look completely vanished when he was flipped onto his back, their positions reversed.

Grimmjow let out a snarl before turning them again- not that Ichigo would give in. They rolled across the floor, both determinedly vying for the top. This wasn't just roughhousing anymore; both had something to prove: Ichigo, his dominance and worthiness as a mate, and Grimmjow, his strength and pride.

Both fought valiantly, but in the end Ichigo won and pinned the other through his natural strength and more importantly, his absolute refusal to lose and desperation to better his intended's view of him. Both hybrids panted loudly after such exertion and at some point, their eyes locked. It was different than the competitive glares from before. Ichigo leaned closer to the one below him- so close their breaths mingled and for once, Grimmjow didn't argue against it. In fact, his eyes were dazed as if he'd fallen under a spell. Both sets of eyes closed as Ichigo closed the distance between their lips.

At the soft brush against his lips Grimmjow awakened from his trance and shoved the larger body off of himself, rapidly jumping to his feet afterwards. Much to his humiliation, his instincts whined in disappointment, _'No! More! Want more!' _At times like these, Grimmjow wished he could disconnect himself from his instincts. He violently fought the blush rising on his face, but still had to turn away to hide it from the damn lion.

Ichigo slumped back to the ground in disappointment as he watched the other's retreating back.

**Fifth method: Flowers**

The following day, the young lion hybrid overheard the three cubs talking, "Flowers always make me so happy. Especially when daddy picks some for me!" the strawberry blonde's cheery voice chirped.

"Me too!," Nel cried; the little panther cub fit right in with the twins despite the four or five year age gap, "I wuv it when Brudder takes me to a flower meadow and I know he wuvs it as much as Nel!"

At these words, Ichigo discovered his next course of action. He strode away determinedly in search of such a place. When he left, the girls all smirked at one another: mission accomplished.

It took all day, but Ichigo finally found the perfect spot. He returned triumphant, sure that tomorrow night he would have the panther in his arms and bed from that moment on. The next day, Ichigo coerced Grimmjow to go on a walk with him (not very hard since the bluenette had become stir-crazy over the last few days in or near the den). To seem normal and distract the other from noticing that they traveled a set path, Ichigo started up a conversation, "So, Nel and the twins are getting along pretty well huh?" The blue-eyed male startled a bit from his thoughts and answered neutrally, "Yeah, Nel will find a friend in just about anyone after she gets passed her initial wariness," That comment seemed to kill the topic, so Ichigo adjusted, "Yep, instincts will do that. Hey, I've been wondering about something: there were a lot of really nice people at the celebration, but I don't recall seeing anyone with yours or Nel's coloration. Don't your parents live close?"

Grimmjow stopped for a second before moving again, "No. Although I call Nel my little sister, we are not blood relatives," Ichigo blinked in great surprise at the fact, _'They sure look as if they could be related with their distinct hair colors, I mean look at Karin, Yuzu, and I- they look much more alike than us!' _Grimmjow continued, he figured he might as well tell this to the lion seeing as they were stuck together, "I have never met anyone related to me. As a cub, I was left abandoned in the jungle, whether out of bad parenting or the death of my parents, I do not know. Luckily, before I could be eaten as the easy prey I was, another panther hybrid found me and took me to her village and there I have lived until recently," the whole village had raised him. In particular, the chief at that time had identified his personality as prospective leader material and treated him as an heir, though he was not spoiled, not even close.

"I found Nel as an infant in the surrounding brush of my home and raised her as my own with my people's help. I had been saved, so how could I not do the same for her?" Ichigo smiled at the kindness his mate always tried to mask from him, but then thought of something, "Why does Nel call you 'Brother'? You seem to play more the role of 'Moth- er, I mean 'Father'," Ichigo had to bite his tongue when he saw the angry bright blue glare directed towards him. Grimmjow growled slightly before continuing, "I felt way too young at the time to be called _'Father',_" he made sure to emphasize the term, "-so I made sure anyone around her addressed me as 'Brother'. She picked it up the same as she would parenting terms."

"Does she know about all of this?" Ichigo questioned in concern.

"Yes, but she is too young at the moment to truly understand or care. Why should I make a big deal out of it if she doesn't? We are as close as blood relatives, even closer in some cases," Grimmjow stated with finality, no longer willing to discuss the topic and narrowing his eyes dangerously when the lion made to open is mouth again. Ichigo smiled, _'Don't mess with mama cat!' _he was sure the other would kill him if he knew what he was thinking.

The conversation proved long enough to reach the location Ichigo had chosen and he grinned in anticipation, "Okay, close your eyes!" The bluenette gave him a suspicious look, "Why?"

"Because it's a surprise!" Grimmjow huffed at the other's immaturity but humored him. Ichigo's grin broadened and he took the panther's hand to lead him deep into the meadow. "Alright, open your eyes," Grimmjow obliged and gasped when he took in their surroundings.

All around them bloomed a multitude of flowers of every color and shade. They had no distinct order, yet still made a breathtaking visage that looked perfect nonetheless. Ichigo watched, pleased, as he took in the wonderment on his mate's face, more enamored with him than the natural beauty all around. "Incredible! I've never seen so many! This is beautiful!" The lion responded dreamily, "Mm-hmm," and when Grimmjow looked over, he saw the redhead's eyes trained on him, "Sure is the most beautiful sight I've ever seen," the lion added, making it clear he was **not** talking about the flowers. Grimmjow blushed violently, stunned. He couldn't look away from the ochre eyes- wasn't sure if he even wanted to. The bluenette's thoughts became muddled as strong arms wrapped around his waist, pulling him against the other and into a ferocious kiss. He couldn't bring himself to care as teeth and tongue ravaged his mouth. He distantly heard soft moans and it took a minute to process that they were his own.

Ichigo was unbelievably turned on at this point. When he initiated the contact, he expected to be pushed away like always, not _this. _The other was reciprocating and very obviously enjoying the kiss as much as him. He growled in excitement- perhaps they'd finally mate again. He lowered the clinging form to the flowered ground and crouched over him, not once breaking the connection of their mouths. The redhead reveled in the sounds proving his mate's pleasure and soon lost control. He broke the kiss, earning a disappointed mewl from the male under him, and began trailing hot kisses and nips down the other's neck. Grimmjow cried out in pleasure at this causing the lion's member to harden in preparation for the expected outcome. He began to pull impatiently at the panther's tunic, quickly becoming frustrated enough to extend his claws and rip the garment off. His mouth quickly resumed its course down the slender body, enjoying the harsh pants and cries from above, until he reached the waist-line of the loose black pants. He started on the rope belt while rutting against the panther in a preview of what was to come, but suddenly lost his balance and toppled over.

He blinked back at his scowling blue-eyed mate, "Returning a kiss is not an invitation to screw me!" the angry tone was made less effective by his panting, flushed, and hickey adorned countenance. The panther backed away when he caught the lion's smirk, "No, but those noises you were making certainly is," Grimmjow's blush deepened along with his glare.

Ichigo returned to the den with a black eye and no more ideas.

**Sixth/Seventh method: Advice aka The last resort**

Ichigo approached his father in embarrassment; this was his final option, "Hey dad," The man looked over in slight concern seeing the apprehension in his son's posture, "Yes? What is it Ichigo?" Ichigo took a deep breath before asking, "How did you get mom to mate with you?" Isshin smiled, '_Ah, he wants advice,' _ "Well, my rugged good looks did the convincing!"

"No, really," Ichigo deadpanned. His father laughed before continuing for real this time, "Okay. Believe it or not, I was quite goofy and awkward at your age,"

"No way," Ichigo responded sarcastically while rolling his eyes.

"I know! It's hard to believe that your ultra cool dad was awkward huh?" Ichigo glared and motioned for him to get on with it. Isshin cleared his throat, "Because of this, it wasn't easy to gain your mother's favor. She was the most beautiful lioness I had ever seen- still is along with your sisters- and I was not the only one who thought so. I had much competition from lions older, younger, stronger and better-looking than myself and her parents wanted the best for her, so they didn't view me as their first choice," Ichigo had been drawn in by the story, "So how did you win?" Isshin smiled softly, "I had something they did not- the willingness to protect, to give my life for your mother without question," Ichigo's eyes widened, "I know that you can do the same, you are my son, I have seen you protect complete strangers without any regard for your own safety, it shouldn't be too hard to prove to Grimmjow that you would do the same for him,"

Because of the older lion's kookiness in most situations, Ichigo often forgot how much wisdom his old man truly possessed. Ichigo felt pride well up in his chest at his father's confidence, "Thanks dad,"

Masaki also offered her son a piece of advice he somehow had not considered, "Grimmjow can hunt for himself, and very proficiently, so why not allow him to. Did you forget that lionesses take a large portion of the hunting done in a pride?" With this in mind, Ichigo invited his mate on the next morning's hunt.

They traveled to the savannah together. Grimmjow felt conflicted. Experience and reason dictated that the best course of action in hunting would be teamwork, but his pride rebelled against the very idea- that he did not want nor need to **ever** rely on the lion for **anything**. His instincts…well, he preferred to ignore them lately as much as he could since their answer to everything for the past week had been the exact same: '_Mate! Mark! Bond! Kit!' _

His pride had been routinely trampled from the moment he had met Ichigo, and it really needed time to recover, _'To hell with commonsense!' _

"I think we should hunt separately," Ichigo whipped his head around to look at his companion, "What! Why?" the panther felt the slightest bit of guilt at the devastated expression, yet held firm to his decision, "This is something I have to do alone," The lion's eyes narrowed in suspicion, "How do I know you won't just run away?"

"Where would I go? My tribe is long gone by now and I would never abandon Nel," the bluenette's voice sounded adamant and despite the upsetting situation, Ichigo felt relieved that his mate no longer sought escape. It would have been nice if he had been part of the reason for him staying though…

"Well alright. Be careful. We'll meet back here at noon," Grimmjow nodded briskly before turning and dashing off. Ichigo sighed before heading off in the opposite direction.

Grimmjow growled harshly in frustration; it'd been over two hours and still no luck! The panther was out of his element. He had lived in heavily wooded areas his whole life, as such his style of hunting depended heavily on the covering provided by thick foliage and being able to hide up in the trees. Here, trees were sparse and the few he found grew strangely- either very tiny or huge with branches too high to safely pounce from. The largest issue though, was almost everything in sight was a shade of yellow or brown meaning his long, vivid tresses were as easy to spot as young or sick prey in the eyes of a predator. Deciding to take a small break in order to come up with a new strategy, Grimmjow flopped comfortably onto his back and yawned then twitched, startled. During the deep inhalation, he caught a peculiar scent. Brilliant blue eyes glanced up, only to widen in horror.

Ichigo returned to their meeting place with an impala, a medium sized, light brown antelope with swooping horns, slung across his strong shoulders. A frown appeared on the redhead's face when he noticed his mate had yet to arrive. About to settle in for a wait, the sight of smoke froze his actions: a wildfire- in the same direction Grimmjow had set off in, _'Grimmjow!' _

Sprinting faster than he ever had in his life, Ichigo met towering, dancing flames, "GRIMM! GRIMMJOW WHERE ARE YOU?" He'd never felt such intense, growing terror. He dashed alongside the spreading blaze, searching desperately for an opening, the flames never seeming to end. About a hundred yards down he finally found a small gap and fearlessly jumped through.

The destruction had no pattern or logic, the inferno resembling a quickly spreading maze consuming all in its path, and he had no idea which way to go, "MMMMAAATTTEEE!" He was screaming himself hoarse in his panic, gasping and coughing as smoke filled his lungs, attempting to mercilessly suffocate him. Then, in a miracle, his burning, tearing eyes locked on a glint of cerulean blue. Despite his aching and exhausted muscles Ichigo pushed himself even harder than before, knowing that survival for them both could rely on only a few seconds' difference. Shielding himself, the lion broke through a newly formed wall of flames to reach beloved's side.

He collapsed on his knees and abruptly scooped the unmoving panther into his arms; he wished with all his might that he could assess his mate's condition, but time did not permit such actions, and he began moving again. Ichigo ignored everything that ailed him during his mission: he did not notice the painful itching of his eyes, he did not stop to catch his breath despite the black smoke continuously pouring down his throat, he did not feel the burning heat all around him, and he definitely did not feel his muscles scream in protest for giving all they had for so long. None of these things mattered; Ichigo only cared about the body pressed protectively against his chest and the portal to their safety his eyes had locked on. An enraged snarl burst from his lips when the potential doorway closed making him rapidly change routes, '_Come on! Come ON! COME ON!' _his thoughts rapidly becoming more panicked when his ears caught the sound of his mate's soft labored breathing slowing dangerously. '_THERE!' _he lunged through the temporary escape door that had just opened before him.

The lion triumphantly escaped the blazing red-orange tendrils with his love and did not slow until they reached deep in rainforest. Finally out of adrenaline, Ichigo's legs buckled under him and his overly fatigued body gave into gravity and fell back, Grimmjow still held close to his chest. Fond eyes gazed down at the panther when Ichigo felt the other's now steady heartbeat and breathing. A gentle hand reached out to brush away icy blue strands of hair, caressing an uncovered cheek afterward. At last content, the young lion allowed himself to drift off into a recuperative sleep.


	3. Burying the Hatchet

Disclaimer: I hold no legal rights/possessions of Bleach or its characters and only write for fun- no profit!

Ichigo groaned as he felt movement atop him rousing him into wakefulness. He would much rather slumber for many more hours to come, but when his sleepy mind recalled the events leading him to this rest he quickly opened his eyes to see what had awakened him. The young lion jumped when he noticed Grimmjow staring down at him from his position straddling the redhead's hips- something about that look was different from his usual glare though. It still burned intensely, but maybe a different kind of intensity...

A soft voice broke him out of his thoughts, "You saved me," Ichigo startled at the abnormally gentle quality of the panther's voice, "Yeah," he answered back slowly, baffled by the other male's mood. He did not anticipate the other's mouth slamming onto his, but he certainly wouldn't complain! They made out wildly, Grimmjow pawing at his shirt in a very needy fashion and whining in disappointment when he couldn't get it off. In response, Ichigo broke the connection of their mouths in order to quickly rip away the annoying garment as well as Grimmjow's. About to attack that delicious mouth once more, the other's appearance stopped him cold: the bluenette was thoroughly flushed, pupils bright and dilated, body shaking, and breaths frantic. "Ichigo," he moaned in need, "Please!"

"W-what?" he panted back, not at all believing what he was hearing, "Please take me! Please I can't ignore this feeling anymore- I need you so bad!" the panther cried in desperation. It didn't take any amount of deliberation before he flipped his finally willing mate under him. For once, the blue-eyed male did not make any sign of protest; in fact, he encouraged the bigger hybrid by wrapping his arms around Ichigo and arching up against him eagerly.

Ichigo jolted up for real this time to harshly cough any residue smoke out from his lungs. He felt horribly disappointed to discover what had happened was all but a (wonderful) dream._ 'Damn fricken' realistic dreams!'_ Golden brown eyes scanned the area and saw Grimmjow suspiciously eyeing him from a nearby rock; gosh Ichigo really hoped he hadn't been moaning or talking in his sleep! Unlike in his dream, the blue eyes held a wary and confused gaze with that telltale spark of rage. That look didn't bode well and even a cub would notice the tension building between the two hybrids- until it snapped-

"Why did you save me! Why risk your life for ME?" the panther leaped from his perch at this and began to pace, "ALL I could think this whole time was that you were more a captor than mate: stealing me away from my life and position in my home, mating and bonding me to you without my consent, taking almost every chance to assert your dominance and harm my pride, trying to win me over with trickery- pretending to be nice when you had an ulterior motive all along," his voice rose with each accusation then paused to continue in a sneering tone, "You'd made it pretty damn clear what my purpose here is!- something to fuck whenever you get the urge, to breed with, someone to cook your food, and kiss your ass when you're feeling down…" the panther stopped his agitated pacing to glare directly into shocked golden sepia eyes, "I thought I had you figured out and then you do THIS! WHY! Tell me why?" the panther finished, nearly screaming out his frustration and doubts.

Ichigo almost roared back, but halted when he saw the glittering hint of forming tears in the confused, pretty sky blue eyes, "I never- not once- thought of you that way! Yes, I want to finalize our bonding, yes I want to _make love _with you, and yes I want cubs, but not just out of instinct and selfishness," he stood and approached his standoffish mate, "I want to make love to you because you are the most beautiful being I have ever seen and I don't want anyone else- only you. I want cubs because the thought of having a family with you makes my heart sing and head swim," he finally halted when he stood less than a foot from one he tried so desperately to prove his sincerity to. Grabbing a slim clawed hand in his own and bringing it to his lips, Ichigo revealed what he had always felt for the one he called mate, "and I want to complete our bond because I _love _you more than anything!" Ichigo confessed the feelings he had been trying so hard to express through his actions. His heart ached terribly when he heard what those actions actually convinced his mate of.

Grimmjow looked shaken at this confession and did not utter a word. He slowly pulled his hand from Ichigo's grasp. Though his heart lurched painfully, the lion knew well enough not to pursue it.

They slowly trekked back to the den, Grimmjow refusing any attempts at communication and not glancing the lion's way once. Ichigo finally gave up trying to converse and hung his head, feeling hopelessness consume him, '_He'll never accept me- never.'_

* * *

><p>The two torn hybrids entered the family's spacious den with Ichigo receiving his father's usual violent greeting: this time getting picked up and hurled across the main room, "YOU WORRIED YOUR MOTHER AND SISTERS AND DON'T EVEN HAVE A MEAL FOR US?-" the black maned lion quieted when he did not feel an answering strike. His forehead crinkled in worry as his son continued to dismally lay on the floor, '<em>Something major must have happened,'<em>

Instead of becoming incensed to retaliate and show the older up, the orange maned lion merely got up slowly, brushed himself off and trudged up to his room. Only Masaki caught the concern flash through Grimmjow's eyes before he departed to his own room. She shared a look with her mate, silently agreeing to give the two some time before attempting to help. The tree little girls did not follow their thinking.

Grimmjow sat in his chosen room feeling unbearably conflicted. The condition of his admirer hurt him far more than he would care to admit and that normally unmovable force that was his pride had begun to relax lately.

"Brudder, can Nel come in?" Grimmjow glanced up to see the pouting face of his adopted little sister. He nodded, doing his best to force a smile, and patted the spot next to him. Nel returned the smile but ignored his gesture, instead climbing into his comfy lap. The little panther looked up at the bigger panther with her large hazel eyes, "Why's Brudder so sad?"

He tried again, "I'm not sad- see?" attempting a grin. Nel crossed her arms and gave him a very unconvinced look.

Grimmjow laughed softly in resignation, '_I never could fool her. I swear she's an empath,' _

"Well, I guess I'm just really confused about how Ichigo feels for me and what I feel for Ichigo," '_I can't believe I am pouring my heart and soul out to a five-year old,' _

Nel looked up at him in befuddlement, "What's there ta' be confuzzled about. Itzugo wuvs Gwimm almost as much as Nel wuvs Gwimm," Grimmjow smiled softly before nuzzling his sister for her sweet words, but then, "Well essept, Nel wuvs you as a big brudder, and Itzugo wuvs you like a daddy wuvs a mommy," Grimmjow's eyes popped open and a vein throbbed in his forehead, '_That's it!' _

Nel squealed as she was picked up and easily pinned by one of her brother's arms, laughing until she screamed as the other arm proceeded to tickle her to the point of nearly wetting herself.

The two lion cubs went to Ichigo's room instead, though this conversation was much more one-sided, "Nii-san get your lazy, miserable self up!" obviously Karin yelling at the pile of furs Ichigo hid under in despair.

"Karin! Can't you see Ichi-nii is upset! Be more sensitive!"

"Screw that! Get up!" this time kicking at her brother. He didn't respond in the least. Yuzu sat by the lump in the blankets and rested a comforting hand at what she hoped to be his shoulder, "Now Ichi-nii, are you going to tell us what's wrong?" the covers shook in what appeared to be a negative. Completely fed up at this point, the dark haired lioness began wrench at the blankets. Since Ichigo had the advantages of being much older, heavier, and stronger, not an inch of him was revealed in the tug-o-war match, "Come on! That's it? You're just gonna give up? I'm sure Grimmjow finds that _really _attractive-"

A voice at the door broke up the scuffle, "Karin, that's enough," the cub was so startled by the abnormally serious quality of her father's voice that she let go without protest, "I would like to speak with your brother alone," the cubs both scurried out of the room, hoping their older brother wasn't in trouble.

The burly lion hybrid sat down in the spot previously occupied by Yuzu, "What happened?" when he received no answer, Isshin quickly lost his patience and ripped the covers from his son's grasp, "Your mother and I were worried sick last night and when you finally return you act more depressed than I have seen you in years! We just want to help, please tell me what is wrong."

Ichigo huffed out in frustration, but obeyed. After recounting the rescue, he turned his anger towards his sire, "I don't get it! You said Grimmjow would start to like me if I showed that I could protect him, but now he hates me more than ever!"

Understanding his son's strife, Isshin kept himself from retaliating, and continued calmly, "When you both returned, I did not see malice in Grimmjow's posture or expression. No, he looked confused and overwhelmed," when he noticed his son's lack of comprehension, the black-haired lion left with, "Just give him some time. You will see," Ichigo let out a huge sigh before flopping back on his bed and yanking the covers back over his face, _'Some time? Karin, Yuzu and even Nel will be bonded to their mates before me!'_

An hour later, on the opposite side of the den, Masaki entered the conflicted panther's room with a small knock on the stone, "Grimmjow-kun, may I speak with you?" the bluenette glanced up at her and gave a minute nod. The beautiful lioness smiled sweetly and sat next to him on his makeshift bed.

"Are you going to try to get me to apologize?" Grimmjow huffed. Masaki shook her head gently, smile perfectly intact, "No, I don't want to make you do anything. I only want to tell you a bit more about my son so that you may better understand his motives," Grimmjow looked at the orange haired lioness directly and held her gaze at this, interested in what she would reveal.

Masaki continued, "My mate and I figured out what had really happened between you two the minute Ichigo first carried you into our home. We were angry of course, but not nearly as angry as we should have been," Masaki smiled apologetically at this, "We just could not bring ourselves to be truly upset when we saw the way Ichigo looked at you. We had not seen such open wonderment and adoration in his expression since he was but a young cub," her tone turned dark, sorrowful, something he had never expected from such a pure being, "You see, something happened when Ichigo was around eight summers old that changed him; my sweet, happy, energetic cub became serious, scowling and brooding. He trained relentlessly claiming that he had to become stronger- strong enough to protect everyone he could. Still so young, and he would not allow his mother to protect him…"

Masaki came back to herself after a despairing pause, "What you have seen of my son: the way he acts, the looks, the cuddling, the silly attempts to make you like him: none of these things are at all typical of him. We could only think of one reason of why he would do all this," Grimmjow unconsciously held his breath. As Masaki stood and made her way out his door, she turned and sent an amused, knowing smile towards him, "He is completely lovesick over you," he gasped, as Ichigo's words rung through his mind once more, _'and I want to complete our bond because I __**love**__you more than anything!' _

Grimmjow found his feet moving on their own up two flights of stairs and before the curtain which separated the person he felt so confused about from the rest of the den. His mind had been abuzz with questions. He had felt conflicted over Ichigo's words ever since his ears had received them. The bluenette really didn't know what to make of the lion anymore; his words sounded sincere and desperate- not that of someone who just wanted his body and service, he would have used force if that were the case, but the redhead had never actually hurt him. The knowing words of the lioness and simple, innocent ones of his sister added to the mix of confusion. Grimmjow so wanted to believe that the confession was genuine and he began to tire from fighting all the damn time (his instincts practically sobbing the whole while), thus he would give the lion **one** chance, but that would be all.

Taking a deep breath, Grimmjow pushed aside the fur curtain and entered the large room. His eyes landed on a pitiful sight. Ichigo, what he had assumed to be the lump under the covers, peered up at him with a sad eye, the whole room radiating a mournful aura. Fighting down the intense instinct to _'comfort mate!' _he spoke what had been plaguing his mind the whole day, "Did you really mean all that?" Grimmjow chose to ignore the desperate wishing in his heart for an affirmation. Ichigo sat up fully, eyes taking on a powerful and determined sheen, his voice surprisingly confident and sure, "Every word. I still do," once more without his consent the bluenette's feet brought him to the foot of the bed.

First Ichigo, then Nel, and now Ichigo's mother- three people had come to the same conclusion, one he had so much difficulty accepting, '_How can they see that so easily!' _but more importantly,_ 'Do I feel the same?' _He felt his instincts growl in exasperation. It was so simple- his instincts had never steered him wrong in the most mundane activities, why would they err in their judgment of something so important as choosing a worthy mate? Maybe they did know better than he gave them credit for. Grimmjow sighed, neither could tell from defeat or relief, and looked up with a serious expression, "Well then, how are you gonna prove that to me, hmm?" the expression morphing into a teasing one.

Ichigo froze in bewilderment. It took a second to wrap his mind around the invitation, but when he did, he accepted and pounced.

Clothing rapidly littered the floor in their need to explore each other's bodies after nearly a month since their mating. Grimmjow finally allowed his instincts to take over, meaning he acted far from passive. Their mouths stayed harshly connected as their hands roamed over hard muscles. Ichigo pushed his mate onto the bed and quickly covered the prone body with his own. He latched his mouth onto the bond mark on the juncture of his partner's neck earning a loud keen from the panther as he sucked hungrily at it. His big hands continued to wonder over the beautiful body he had been yearning so long for. A grunt ripped from the larger hybrid's throat when he felt hands in his hair jerk his head back up. He growled a warning to his submissive, thinking the other was having second thoughts, but calmed when the panther began to nip and lick at his lips, displaying his voracious desire to kiss once more. Ichigo obliged with a growl, this time in pleasure when he drew a loud purr from his mate.

The lion startled and turned his head when he felt something wrap teasingly around his tail. To his delight, it was his mate's own slimmer, blue tail; as this was considered a very affectionate act and would traditionally only be practiced among mates, Ichigo felt the situation really sink in- his chosen mate finally accepted and wanted him- truly wanted him- possibly for their entire lives and beyond as Ichigo did. Thoughts began to whir dizzyingly through his head,_ 'Dad WAS right!/ He's attracted to me!/ We are finally officially becoming mates!/ We're really gonna be together now!/ We ARE going to have cubs- I'm going to have a family!/ but does he…' _ there was one thing Ichigo absolutely **needed** to affirm before they went any further.

The redhead slowly pulled himself away from his panting mate and looked into his incredibly blue eyes, "I love you, I've not a single doubt about that, but I need to know, do you…" too apprehensive, he couldn't conjure his voice to finish the question.

Grimmjow rolled his eyes and gently, yet firmly grabbed Ichigo by his face to bring it closer to his own, "Dummy. Don't you get it by now? If I didn't, I would never allow this to happen," honesty sparkled in his eyes and he gave Ichigo the sweetest smile the lion had ever seen from him, "So yes, I suppose I love you too," a charming blush encompassed the panther's face, his cerulean eyes soft. The warmth permeating the atmosphere around them overwhelmed Ichigo with emotion. Arms wrapped around his neck and brought the stunned lion into a surprisingly innocent kiss. Without a moment of debate, he wrapped his strong arms around his beloved.

The loving moment rapidly picked up in intensity from there, escalating even beyond their earlier pace, and Ichigo realized easily that this occurrence felt incalculably better than any of his dreams. His mouth traced down the slimmer body, suckling and biting, knowing when he hit a hotspot by the strength of Grimmjow's grip in his hair. He traveled back up to his mate's mouth once more to distract him from his next move.

Two of Ichigo's fingers trailed down the panther's side to his rear, following the crevasse until plunging impatiently into the waiting entrance. Grimmjow broke the connection of their lips with a gasp. About to reprimand the lion for the lack of warning, his mind malfunctioned at the pleasure and he could only moan out in appreciation. Ichigo echoed his partner's moan when the tight tunnel around his digits clenched and became wetter with the other's excitement. As the submissive between them, the potential for childbearing traits all hybrids are born with began to develop the moment Ichigo claimed him, albeit gradually to avoid complications and pain. Because of this, the preparation did not take long, nor was it truly necessary, though both enjoyed it immensely. Once Ichigo finished, the bluenette obeyed his instincts and rolled over onto his hands and knees, slender blue tail lifted up in clear invitation. The larger hybrid released a husky purring growl of approval before draping his body over the offered one, lining himself up, and easing in slowly to avoid hurting his mate.

Still, he earned a loud yowl from his partner, since it had been quite awhile since the panther had experienced the sensation of being stretched- especially as Ichigo was not small by any means. Grimmjow panted and clenched his eyes shut, claws biting into his hands, waiting for his body to adjust to the discomfort. Seeing this, Ichigo felt a wave of guilt and pressed an apologetic kiss to the nape of his lover's neck while trying his hardest to quell the instinctual urge to thrust, though he sensed his will power rapidly deteriorating.

The blue-eyed male did his best to relax. Feeling the slight quivering at his back, he took pity on the eager lion and pushed back into the intrusion. Ichigo gasped; control shattering, he began to thrust forcefully into the body beneath him. Cries of ecstasy quickly filled the room when the experience became equally pleasurable for both cats. The two lovers had lost the ability to form coherent speech due to the white-hot intensity their carnal act had achieved. As he felt the beginnings of ultimate pleasure wash over him, the panther harshly grabbed the back of his partner's neck, forcibly tugging him farther against his own perspiring back, and whipped his head up and around, long hair fluttering prettily, to bite deeply into the juncture of the lion's throat. Ichigo was brought over the edge by the feeling of his mate's tensing and shuddering as well as the knowledge that their bond had at last come to completion.

They collapsed in very satisfied exhaustion, both feeling more content then they could ever remember. The bigger hybrid maneuvered them around so that both laid on their backs, his arms wrapped around his (he could truly proclaim it now) mate. To his delight, Grimmjow cuddled up to rest his head lightly on the redhead's chest. They fell asleep peacefully in one another's arms, complementary color tails once more twining together.

* * *

><p>Ichigo was on cloud nine and he did not want to come down! He was finally bonded to the beautiful panther he'd yearned so long for, but now he had to face reality.<p>

Ichigo was loathed to open his eyes that morning to discover that everything he had wished for and achieved had just been another one of his teasing dreams, '_Damn dreams are too realistic!' _the young lion yawned and attempted to stretch when he noticed a warm, soft weight atop him, in his arms. He slowly cracked his eyes open and gasped in great relief- the icy blue hair of his mate sprawled across his chest greeted his vision. He slowly lifted a hand to brush through the long blue locks, amazingly earning a purr, '_I could get used to this,'_ Ichigo couldn't remember the last time he had smiled so much.

Grimmjow slowly shifted atop the lion as he woke up. He blinked down at the other slowly, and for a moment Ichigo feared he would take back and regret the previous night. These thoughts were proven completely wrong when the panther grinned at him mischievously and offered, "How about another round?" his tail and ears flickering in excitement, _'Yeah, I definitely could get used to this!' _the lion thought as he pulled his panther into a fiery kiss.

When the two finally emerged from Ichigo's (and now Grimmjow's) room, they saw the rest of the family trail in with breakfast. While the girls went to help Masaki prepare the meal, Isshin took them aside. Ichigo beamed and wrapped his arm around his mate to make clear their status and excitedly pointed to the mating mark the panther had given him. Isshin grinned, "Yes, I see that son, and am very proud!- but there is something we need to discuss," Ichigo looked confused, but nodded for his father to continue.

"Ichigo, Grimmjow, we are very happy for you both, but we don't feel the twins, much less Nel, are old enough for 'the talk' and your mother and I can't take them to see the flower field or waterfall every time you two get frisky; we'd rarely be home!" The recently mated pair both flushed in horrified embarrassment, "Thus, it is time to go den hunting!" Of all things to come out of the dark-maned lion's mouth, they certainly didn't expect that!

At that moment, the three most innocent residents rushed back into the room, upon seeing the young males leaning comfortably against one another, they cheered.

"About time you two! I couldn't stand Ichi-nii's moping around anymore!" the dark-haired twin of course. Ichigo would have made a rude remark back, but really, he was too damn happy at the moment to care. "Uh-huh! Congratulations Ichi-nii, Grimm-nii," and the strawberry blonde twin. Grimmjow smiled at the title the little lioness had given him. They really had been like a family to him and he felt honored they had accepted him.

"Nel is so happy for Brudder and Itsugo! But… could Brudder essplain to Nel what eczactly happened?" Both young male blushed once more at this.

"Well, Ichigo and I completed our bond and we are now officially mates," Ichigo pointed to the bite mark on his and Grimmjow's necks to illustrate the point. Nel didn't seem satisfied with that answer though, "If Brudder just had to bite Itsugo, then why did we haf to leaf the den? I acsted papa-Isshin and he said you needed 'alone time', but how come? Nel bites people and don' need 'alone time'," the newly mated pair resembled tomatoes by now. Luckily, Masaki swooped in to save the day, giggling, "You will learn that when you're older dear," Nel pouted and crossed her arms, '_That'z what __dey always say!'_

* * *

><p>After being questioned by young Nel, the need to find a den of their own became very apparent. Especially since Grimmjow refused any hint of sexual contact while in or near the family den and Ichigo wasn't about to wait very long now that his beloved was willing.<p>

Day One

The first cave they entered had been quite the disappointment, as it looked completely uninhabitable with dark gunk covering every surface. Ichigo tried to be positive, "We can try to clean it," obviously desperate to bed down with his mate once more and not too picky about where. Grimmjow sneered in disbelief at him, "You cannot be serious; look around you," he looked around while sweeping his arms out, "it's a complete and utter dump-" upon looking at the ceiling and catching sight of an odd glimmer, he froze. Ichigo gave the bluenette a concerned look, "What's the matter? Grimm-" the panther quickly covered the loud lion's mouth to shut him up and jerked his head up to get him to look as well. Ichigo glared at him in confusion, "What's your problem?" his angry voice just loud enough to disturb the cavern's inhabitants. Grimmjow gave his stupid mate a death glare which Ichigo met with a goofy grin, rubbing the back of his head, "Oops?"

The two ran as fast as they could as the surrounding 'gunk' came alive in the form of screeching, swarming bats, the hybrids very much hoping they were not the type who preferred blood. It turned out to be worse than they thought when two vampire bat hybrids dropped right in front of them. How did they know they were bloodsuckers? The long, dangerous fangs peeking out from their mouths gave them a good indication, "What luck!" the light green haired one hissed in a strange accent to his curly lavender-haired female mate, "We do not even have to hunt tonight; our prey have come to us!" Grimmjow glared back at them and got into a fighting stance. His eyes widened as he felt his feet leave the ground, Ichigo throwing him over his shoulder and dashing around their foes into the daylight where the nocturnal creatures could not follow.

When Ichigo finally put him down, Grimmjow lashed out, "Why did you do that? We could've taken them!" Ichigo just smiled in exasperation and caressed the other's soft cheek, "I didn't want you to get hurt," this may not have been the most wise thing to say. The bluenette snarled harshly and jerked his head away from the touch, "Do not insult me- I am NOT weak!" the redhead winced, but still hugged his mate close, "You mean too much to me to chance it." Grimmjow sighed and gave in, embracing back and silently forgiving him- this time.

They soon came upon another cave far from the first, which they made sure to avoid during nighttime from that moment on. This cave seemed more promising- that is, until they discovered it laden with booby traps.

"Ichigo stop!" the panther ordered when he noticed the ground in front of them didn't look quite right, "Don't worry, the exit is right in front of us!" against the warning, he stepped forward. The ground gave away around them and both fell into a deep pit. Grimmjow glared, enraged at his mate as he picked himself up, "You think after dodging arrows, triggering spikes, and getting chased by a giant boulder, you'd listen to me by now when I say **stop**!" he punched the other's arm hard. Noticing the object of his ire paid him no attention, instead eyeing the floor around them in apprehension, the blue-eyed male followed his glance. Just when he thought it couldn't get much worse: slithering, snapping, colorful (which usually equated to venomous) snakes.

"You're good at climbing, start up the wall and I'll find another way out," Ichigo commanded. Grimmjow looked at him with wide eyes, "No way! I'm not just gonna leave you here!"

"Do it now!" Ichigo ordered. "No!" Losing patience, the lion used his incredible strength to pick up and throw his disobedient mate up onto a ledge on the wall behind them. He then backed up before running and leaping over the dangerous reptiles and to a rope ladder he'd spotted when he made his command. The panther watched him quickly ascend the ladder in surprise before shaking himself out of his shock and climbing back up out of the hole. This time they did make it out. Grimmjow smacked the back of the orange haired head, "Would it have killed you to tell me that you saw a ladder!" Ichigo chuckled a bit; that was his mate's way of saying he had been worried. He leaned in to nuzzle the mating mark he had left on his pouting lover's neck, in turn getting a shove which he knew was used to hide the other's embarrassment, but also translated to 'tell me next time'.

Day Two

They'd finally found a nice one- no bats, no traps, and no snakes. Ichigo grinned at his mate and nodded, receiving a nod in agreement; they had found a winner. Now if only they could get rid of the place's unappealing scent. For some reason, it just raised their hackles. As they reached the doorway, they found their answer. There stood an irate hyena hybrid: huge, tan, with strange pony-tails in his shoulder length black hair, and red markings all over his body- one of their kind's natural enemies and competitors for prey. Neither species could stand even looking at each other usually, which explained the hulking male's rudeness, "This is my den, so get lost ya damn felines!" As much as the mated pair resented the treatment, they decided to leave peacefully as the den did belong to another. The brute got a better look at the two when they stepped out into the daylight and walked passed him. Eyes wondering up and down the smaller male's very long legs, he licked his lips lecherously, "On second thought, the pretty blue one can stay," he leered.

Ichigo halted abruptly with a growl. Without turning, he asked in a sharp, threatening tone, "What was that?" the fool smirked, "Ya heard me," turning his attention back to Grimmjow, "C'mon kitty, I can show you what it's like ta get fucked by a _real_ alpha male!" Grimmjow bristled and bared his teeth at the arrogant pervert. About to strike, his mate stopped him with a surprisingly gentle hand on his shoulder. Looking up, Grimmjow opened his mouth to argue when he saw Ichigo lunge at the black haired mutt and land a solid, not-at all-gentle punch on his jaw that caused the big bastard to fly a few feet before crashing harshly onto the ground, leaving him gasping for breath at the power of the hit and his back's violent meeting with the stone floor.

"You will not talk to _**my**_ **mate **like that!" the redhead roared. The hyena hybrid could only cower from his position on the ground and continue trying to take in air. If Ichigo didn't have the moral code he did, he would have killed someone for such a comment. "Let this be a lesson to you! Many others would have ripped you apart and taken your home for daring to make eyes at their mate, much less what you tried," the lion brusquely turned and pulled his mate along with him.

Grimmjow felt both turned on and irritated at how the lion had handled it, _'So strong, forceful, dominant…' _he shuddered in arousal, then blushed fiercely and flattened his ears in embarrassment when the thought caught up to him. Still, he couldn't find it in himself to argue when Ichigo dragged him behind a large rock formation to reassert his dominance and ownership over his mate for himself and anyone who would question it.

Day Three

Another day, another potential den to scope out. It seemed nice enough, actually similar to the family den in design, but something didn't sit well with Grimmjow "Ichigo, something's wrong. We should go back," sky blue eyes darted warily around the large chamber, blue and green ears flickering constantly. Ichigo knew that the panther was much more accustomed to living outside or in a hut than a den, so he put his anxiousness off, "You just aren't use to how an empty cave is supposed to sound, don't worry," despite the comforting words, something still didn't feel right.

_Crack! ! BAM!BAM!BAM!_

Both hybrids jumped in fright and ran, hands covering their heads as rocks began to tumble down all around them. Looking around when the noises stopped, there wasn't much damage, but, "This place is unstable, we should leave- now," Ichigo began to protest, "This type of event is mostly far and few in between. We're fine now," the cave proved him wrong when another collapse shook through the chamber and one of the doorways became blocked off, _'Never mind then,' _This door was not just any door though, but the way entrance was now sealed, and they were trapped.

Grimmjow whipped around to face the other, "I told you we should have turned back and now look!"

"If we had, we would've been crushed instead of just trapped!" Ichigo retorted.

Fed up, Grimmjow shoved him harshly into a wall, "Why can't you just listen to me sometimes?" Ichigo propelled himself off the surface behind him and pinned the bluenette against the ground with a warning growl, "What are you talking about?"

Grimmjow hissed, raised a knee beside Ichigo's torso to push him off, and hopped to his feet, "Most of the problems we've faced during this search could have been avoided if you'd just listen to me once in a while!"

Ichigo picked himself up and faced off against his volatile partner, "You're one to talk! You argue with just about every decision I make! Besides, you're the submissive- you are _supposed_ _to_ obey me!" Grimmjow's face went completely blank, '_Oh HELL no.' _

Ichigo soon found himself fending off the wild attacks of his incensed mate, the blows quickly drawing him into the blood-red haze of rage and combat as well. They exchanged punches and scratches, shoving and throwing one another against walls, biting if one got close enough, snarling, hissing, and roaring all the while. All of the emotions they had been suppressing broke free from their tightly packed containers to control their creators' actions, at last being exorcised. The fighters' clothing hung in tatters from claw swipes and strong grips, clinging to their wearers' sweating skin.

"I agreed to be your mate, **not** your slave!" the bluenette cried while landing a strong roundhouse kick to the redhead's side.

Ichigo grunted at the force of the impact, but still managed to grab the other's leg and twist him in mid-air before letting go, "Are you this upset about being on bottom?" the panther surprised him by landing safely in a crouch, sweeping his legs out from under him and quickly pinning him, his angry face hovering over his own.

"No dammit, the sex is fantastic!" normally the bluenette would be much too embarrassed to say such a thing, but right now he couldn't care less- it was the truth, "To me, submissive and dominant only refers to our sexual positions and the fact that I am going to birth the cubs eventually. It doesn't mean you have to boss me around all the damn time!" Ichigo quickly flipped them and retorted, "I only want to protect you! I love you…" the choleric haze finally began to clear and he flinched when he realized the damage he had caused his mate, "I never wanted to hurt you," sounding deeply saddened by what they had done.

Grimmjow sighed and held the sad face in his hands, kissing him softly, "And I love you. Don't trouble yourself, I'm fine,"

Ichigo smiled and whispered into a soft blue ear, "I don't see you as a slave, I just…" Thinking back to the last couple days: not heeding Grimmjow's nervousness and instincts, the bluenette's anger at Ichigo's protective actions, questioning and doubting each other's motives: Ichigo suddenly realized the root of their problems, "Trust," he murmured. Grimmjow blinked up at him in confusion, "What?" Ichigo laughed, "I don't want you to mindlessly obey me, I just want you to trust me, as I should trust you." After all, they were both only looking out for one another. The solution was so simple. Grimmjow stared at the other's merry visage in amazement before laughing along. Gosh, they both felt stupid!

But now what to do about the cave-in? Both individuals felt utterly exhausted after their battle and did not possess the energy to move all that rubble…Grimmjow smirked mischievously, "We can mate for as long as you'd like the moment we get out of here," Ichigo sprung up immediately, fully recharged and hastily got to work while the bluenette laid back comfortably and watched the very sexy image of his barely clothed mate exert himself; he did have to save up his energy for the promised reward after all.

Day Four

Finally, despite all of the set backs and near death experiences, they had found it: the perfect den. It was built into a hillside and structured even bigger than the family den with four levels instead of two, having ample room for their growing family, however large it may become (Ichigo wanting as many cubs as possible whereas Grimmjow would be fine with only one litter). There were several tunnels, nooks, and secret passageways for cubs to play in; Grimmjow made a mental note to block off any places a cub might get stuck in. The main room had small gaps for sunlight to peek through and although they would have to be covered during monsoon season, they provided a cheerful lighting. The young males returned to their previous home to reveal their success and retrieve their belongings. Strangely, when offered to visit, perhaps stay the night in the new den, Ichigo's parents politely refused for themselves and the cubs, claiming that it'd be best to wait. So Grimmjow hugged and kissed all three of his little sisters, Ichigo doing the same, and they headed back to their new home deciding just to bring the blankets for now.

* * *

><p>Turns out, the new den owners had excellent timing. Many newly mated hybrids don't realize that the purpose of mating season is not to conceive, but to find their mate. Others believed pregnancy could occur at any time after a bond is complete. In reality, nature had set up a clever system where, after the bond is complete a new kind of season- just before summer- starts affecting the bonded pair for that purpose. And the lion and panther were just in time.<p>

Ichigo groaned upon waking the next day, arousal burning though his veins worse than he could ever recall- not even mating season could compare. His mate had woken up before him and had gone elsewhere, so the lion decided to simply take care of the problem himself. Upon contact with his hand, the redhead hissed loudly; the pleasure unbearable, but something also felt different about his manhood. Ichigo flung the blanket off of himself. His eyes nearly popped out of his head when they caught sight of the altered organ, "What the HELL!"

Hearing his mate's distress, Grimmjow hurried into their room, "Ichigo? What's wrong?" but he too stopped dead when he followed the other's wide gaze, '_What in the…' _

While the submissive mate's childbearing attributes are brought out once mated, the dominant develops traits to _impregnate_. One of those being the penile spines both were currently eying in trepidation. Suddenly, Ichigo's head snapped up to study the room's new occupant. The golden sepia eyes looked ravenous; that look could only mean one thing, "Absolutely not," the lion stood from their bed and started towards the blue panther, never breaking his intense gaze. Grimmjow gulped and took a step back, attempting a stern tone "Hey, I mean it!" Not deterred in the least, Ichigo picked up speed, "Ichigo!" seeing no victory here, Grimmjow turned tail and ran.

What he didn't realize though, is that the only thing faster than a terrified panther, is his lust-maddened mate. Yowls of complete ecstasy and grunts of effort were heard echoing throughout their new home for many days afterward.

* * *

><p>Nel sat alone on a big rock outside the den, feeling downcast; she missed her brother. It had been a month since they had really spent any time together and even longer since he had played tag with her, ever since he met Ichigo. It was a relief when they had come down the stairs that day hugging and happy and she thought things would go back to how they used to, but they didn't. He and Ichigo would go out all the time looking for somewhere else to live. Nel didn't want that! and whenever they came back Grimm was too tired to play. Even worse, they found some place else to live and hadn't come back since! It was a lot of fun playing with Yuzu and Karin, but she <em>really<em> wanted her big brother's company too.

The little girl flopped onto her back heaving a huge sigh. Cruel thoughts flooded her mind,_'Brudder's too busy to play with Nel," _tears quickly began to well up in her big, pretty hazel eyes, '_What if brudder doesn't want Nel now that he has Itsugo?" _the little panther broke down into tears and wailed loudly, "BRUDDER *sniff* DOESN'T *sob* WANT NEL *gasp* ANYMORE!" before she could carry on any further, strong, gentle arms brought her against a warm chest and someone nuzzled the crown of her head, "Now that's not true," a familiar voice cooed, Nel blinked up in disbelief, "BRUDDER!" crying now for a much better reason, the little turquoise haired cub clung to her family member, while demanding he never leave her so long again.

Ichigo smiled softly at the little reunion. Deciding to give them some time, he entered the den and immediately blocked a punch, "Darn, and I had hoped you'd _grown up_ while I was gone!" Isshin gave a hearty laugh, "Of course not my boy! The dangers will only multiply now that you've grown up and moved out!" going for another strike, which actually landed, knocking the younger down. Isshin grinned down at Ichigo's stunned expression, "Think of it as part two of your training; I won't go so easy on you anymore!"

"Ichi-nii!" Yuzu ran to her downed sibling and hugged him strongly, "We missed you, even if Karin won't directly admit it! You're staying for dinner right?" Grimmjow popped, holding Nel's hand, "Of course!" the little lioness jumped up to hug him as well, "Grimm-nii!"

After a long game of tag for little Nel, everyone sat down for supper. Masaki beamed at her son and his mate, "We will need to make this a regular occasion, since we all missed you two so much," Yuzu and Nel cheered with Karin trying to hide a smile when the males agreed. In a moment of deja vu, the black-haired lion asked "So, is Grimmjow with kittens yet?" but instead of choking in surprise this time, the panther sighed in exasperation, "Yes, now stop asking already," Isshin froze for a while. Everyone started to feel concerned- it was a rare event when something struck the boisterous lion speechless. Then the dam burst "YES! THAT'S MY BOY! I'M GOING TO BE A GRANDFATHER! MASAKI! WE'RE GOING TO BE GRANDPARENTS!" and like always, Ichigo had to shut his father up- by force.

End?


	4. Faces New and Old

Chapter four- Faces New and Old

Disclaimer: I hold no legal rights/possessions of Bleach or its characters and only write for fun- no profit!

"Geese, you act as though I'm nearly six months along instead of just two! Calm down, I am fine!"

"I do not!"

Upon receiving the disbelieving glare from his mate, he resigned, "Well, maybe a little…" It had been about a month since their big unveiling at the family den and Ichigo had matched the part of doting, though unwittingly overprotective and worrying, new father-to-be to a T. Grimmjow had to consistently remind his harrowed mate that pregnant did not mean helpless or dying. In actuality, besides minor discomforts, the panther's body had adapted to the changes brought forth in childbearing with a surprising amount of grace and ease. Ichigo had speculated that Grimmjow had always been as volatile as any she-cat, so his hormones had not needed to change enough to alter his personality. That comment was met with an unexpected swim in the river they regularly drank from, which really only helped confirm the lion's theory.

"Don't worry so much- the cubs are out of their major points of development and miscarriage is far less likely now."

"How do you know that?"

The panther blushed a bit, "When we we were visiting my village, the doctor explained some of the basics to me."

_As they walked out the door of the healer's hutch, a gentle hand on Grimmjow's shoulder halted him. Giving the kind healer a curious look, the tall female simply smiled and gestured him back inside and shooed off the lion practically clinging to his side. The panther nearly burst out laughing at the affronted expression on the taller male's face, but rolled his eyes instead, "Just give us a minute will you?" Brown eyes narrowed dangerously at his tone and the bluenette inwardly cringed at what he was about to do._

_"Please?" Beautiful blue eyes from behind charming fluttering lashes stared pleadingly up at Ichigo, complete with pout with his hands clasped together beneath his chin in a hopeful position. The redhead never stood a chance. _

_Grimmjow smirked in triumph when the lion let out a dazed sounding, "Sure, whatever you want…" and ambled away. He really needed to keep that little strategy in mind. _

_A long-fingered hand patted his back proudly, "Already playing him like an instrument, eh? That's our leader!" he flushed slightly at the praise, "So what is it you wanted to speak with me about, Isane-san?"_

_She smiled sweetly, "Well dear, now that you are mated, especially as the submissive of the pair," a growl erupted from the leader's chest at the term. The silver haired siberian tiger hybrid gave him a swat with her tail, "There is nothing to be ashamed of. Being the submissive partner does not mean that you are weak nor were you made weak! No one in the village truly believes that or thinks less of you now!" She had no idea how much that statement repaired his crippled ego, "Anyway, what I wish to discuss is the eventual result of your mating," she grinned in fondness as pink crept into the usually unshakable leader's cheeks, "Y-you mean er…" _

_"Yes sweetie, your eventual pregnancy and litter."_

_"Ah."_

He'd learned much that day, more in fact than he'd ever wanted to know about childbirth. Some of the knowledge still made him squirm. Much to his embarrassment, though it truly could not be helped, he'd begun showing, however gradually, weeks ago.

Noticing the other's anxious expression, the slighter of the pair tilted his head up and went up on the balls of his feet to deliver a chaste peck to Ichigo's right cheek, "Don't worry so much; you'll make a great father," Ichigo blushed and smiled, lightly placing his hand over the still tingling skin. Unfortunately, the loving moment didn't last, "Aww, now in't that sweet!" a loud, obnoxious voice crowed before them, startling the two apart.

In front of the den stood a pure white male baring an eerie resemblance to Ichigo. Despite their almost identical appearance, their disposition could not be further apart. Even the way each held himself clearly differed; while Ichigo had a strong, assertive, and protective stance, his odd twin had an arrogant yet unhinged look, complete with his eyes darting about everywhere and the slightly crazed gleam in the white lion's unnatural inverted eyes.

Ichigo growled at the stranger and gently coaxed his mate behind him, "What are you doing here Shiro?" Grimmjow felt incredulity at the name, not sure if the orange lion knew the other lion or if he'd simply assigned the fitting title "white" to him as a taunt.

"It's been awhile. What, can't I miss mah little brother enough to come see him every now an' again?" The panther started at the information. Well this certainly cleared some things up. From his embarrassing talk with Isane, Grimmjow had learned cat hybrids always had a litter- meaning multiple cubs- without exception each and every pregnancy. This fact had greatly bothered Grimmjow since his own mate appeared to be without any littermates. Upon asking Ichigo about it, he was met with a grumbled, "It's not important," and intense brooding for the remainder of the day. Thus, the topic became taboo, though that didn't keep Grimmjow from wondering. He couldn't help it; Ichigo never kept anything from him, at least that he knew of. The most likely theories to him were that the lion's sibling was stillborn or lost at a young age to illness or predation. Never had he suspected the brother to be alive and well and apparently unwelcome. Perhaps he had been shunned?

"I haven't seen you since we were cubs, so why come now?"

The albino grinned back infuriatingly, "I'd heard some very_ interesting _news I jus' had ta confirm with my own eyes. I suppose it was true, King's finally found 'is queen huh?" the gold on black eyes locked onto the hybrid behind his brother, the malevolently shining eyes roving the lithe figure, much to the ire of Ichigo, "And what a lovely queen he is," The previous growling returned and intensified into a roar.

Shiro obviously did not realize, or more likely did not care, the risk he took in continuing, "But wha' I'm really dyin' ta know- is 'e any good of a fuc-" "SHIRO!" all three hybrids snapped their gazes to the opening of the den where Masaki stood, her normally placid and cheerful nature replaced with outrage; in fact she looked down right intimidating despite her petite frame.

"That is no way to speak to your brother and his mate! Now apologize this instant!"

The previously unyielding smartass gaped down at her, "But Ma -" really it was quite a humorous sight: the male lion, more than twice the size of the lioness, quavering and whining like a cub protesting impending punishment for disobeying their parent- actually, that was exactly what was happening.

"No buts! Apologize now!"

With a sigh if resignation, the albino turned towards them again, "I'm sa-s-sawr-yee," he choked out, seeming to have great difficulty in articulating the word as if it was in a foreign language he had never heard of before. By his self-important demeanor and impudent responses to everything, Grimmjow wouldn't have been surprised if had been his very first usage of the word.

Despite the obvious lack of sincerity in the forced apology, Masaki recovered her natural sweetness, "Dinner will be ready in an hour or two. You boys should catch up- without physical force, that is," somehow that close-eyed smile looked just as intimidating as her glare, "Grimm-chan?" he sighed and followed his mother-in-law into the den. The lioness had been teaching him how to cook ever since Ichigo had caught that oryx for him. "It's not because you're the submissive dear, it's simply because my little boy can't prepare anything edible to save his life! And one of you has to feed the children. Besides, you truly have a natural talent for it," she had amended. Although he felt irritated at first, he had found cooking to be somewhat enjoyable. Plus, because of this chore, he made Ichigo do what he truly despised- the cleaning. All of it. He smirked evilly to himself.

At first the lion resisted, pulling the whole 'as the submissive you should to the inside work, and I the dominant should do the outside work'. Grimmjow had simply given him blank stare before all hell broke loose. In the end they had compromised: Grimmjow would always cook, though wouldn't hunt until after the cubs were weaned, but he would gather the firewood, water, herbs and other ingredients so that he could still get out of the den, while Ichigo would hunt, clean the den, and care after the fire pit.

"BRUDDER!" he caught the aqua blur flying at him easily with a soft grin. It really was adorable that no matter how often they visited, Nel always acted as if he'd been gone for years, "Are we gonna cook sumping yummy Brudder?" He smiled warmly down at the little girl, "We sure are! Did you get to see papa-Isshin and mama-Masaki hunt yet?" He listened contently as the little imp babbled on about her hunting excursions with the lions and everything under the sun afterward; he made sure to add comments and nod every once in a while to show he was listening. Being with his adopted sister inevitably brought about thoughts of his own upcoming litter, _'I'm gonna have one- well at least two of these soon! I had a whole village to help me raise Nel- how are Ichigo and I gonna pull off raising two or even three, or- heaven forbid, __eight__ like that one cheetah mated pair a few years back!' _he almost passed out at the mere thought! Peering down at his abdomen, he couldn't fathom carrying and birthing that many, let alone actually raising them all at once. He firmly decided then and there, _'If we have that many, this'll be our last litter __**period**__.'_

* * *

><p>Ichigo, wanting as many cubs as possible, felt the slightest disturbance in the force from his partner's adamant promise, not that he knew the reason for it. He brushed it off. Right now he had bigger problems, namely his newly returned jackass of a brother.<p>

"So, what've ya' been up ta lately besides scoring that hot piece of ass?" Ichigo felt his claws extend unconsciously. He suppressed the urge to put the mouthy bastard in his place forcefully; words would do just fine for now.

"You're awful brave now that Mom's not here huh?" He smirked at the outraged expression he'd drawn from his twin.

"Hey you shut the hell up! We both know yer' the pansy mama's boy here!"

"How did that go again," he dramatized how Shiro's posture had dropped in deference when scolded, "But mmaaaa!"

Shiro snarled and prepared to leap at his snickering brother when a voice floated from within their family home, "Boys, what did I say?" Oh no, the lioness didn't need an angered or strict tone to effectively get her point across.

"Sorry Ma!" they responded simultaneously, Ichigo's taunting smirk never relenting. Shiro's glare told him exactly what would happen once they were out of range of their parent's keen senses. The gleam in the orange lion's eyes accepted the challenge, _'Bring it.'_

The gold on black eyes sparked in accordance, _'Oh, I will.'_

"I'd be careful, Ichi. With such a beautiful mate, yeh' never know who'll take an interest in 'im.'"

"Is that a threat?" the more colorful lion asked with an obvious warning in his tone.

"Nah, think of it more as brotherly advice- gotta look after me' little brother right?"

A voice broke the growing tension between the newly reunited siblings, "Boys! Supper's ready!" Sending one last glare to one another, Ichigo and Shiro tramped back into the den.

* * *

><p>While the family had their, what Grimmjow discovered to be, traditional music night, the panther went for a walk. Ichigo of course did not agree with him going out alone in his 'condition' much to the bluenette's annoyance, "We've been over this before; my body isn't going to abort the cubs if something startles me and I'm no weaker now than normal! I just need some space! Besides, you should spend some time with your recently returned brother without having to worry about his constant horrible attempts at flirting with me." <em>'Cause damn if that didn't get old fast!'<em>

Without turning back, he made his way further into the rain forest, comforted by its damp warmth and ever-present life even in the night. Grimmjow wasn't lying when he told Ichigo that he loved him; he did. He'd come to adore the lion as well as his family. He just didn't appreciate being treated like an invalid. He knew the redhead didn't do this on purpose- instinct was a very powerful thing and often worked without their kind's acknowledgment much less consent, and as the dominant and eventual leader of their growing pride Ichigo was deeply ingrained with the instinct to protect. On top of this, Masaki had enlightened him that due to some traumatic event in her oldest's childhood, Ichigo had made a personal vow to always to help those in need and to eternally protect all those precious to him with every resource and ounce of strength he possessed.

Honestly, Grimmjow deeply admired his mate's powerful resolve and loved him all the more for having it. Nonetheless, he still had a difficult time adjusting to the change in his role in the pack from leader of so many, to submissive mate. Much to his relief, Ichigo did not act domineering in all activities as he had seen in more than a few pairings in his village. Actually, besides the occasional intrusion of instinct and when something truly threatened his safety, he treated him as an equal partner. A fond smile pulled at the panther's lips, _'Well damn. I forgot why I was mad at him in the first place!'_

Turning back to the den, a sudden snap caught his attention. Such a sound was quite normal in a place so teeming with life, but only new, foolish prey and others of his kind made so much noise around an obvious predator as himself. He knew it was probably a young okapi or tapir, but his instincts forced him to be careful anyway.

They were correct as always. Instead of a prey animal, there stood a large, even larger than his mate, vivid red-haired tiger hybrid, easily distinguishable by the striped pattern over his chest and forehead. Usually, in feline hybrid society, if two of no previous relations crossed paths, they simply ignored one another and went about their business, albeit wary of the other's intentions. Grimmjow could tell by the look in the tiger's eye that this would not be one of those occasions.

Beady reddish brown eyes locked onto him showing more interest than strictly polite. As the big male approached, the panther drew back into a defensive crouch, ready to either defend himself and his growing young or run. He felt grateful they were not currently in a mating season at the moment. When the tiger reached about ten feet from his position, the blue panther released a hiss in warning. The redhead blinked in surprise before raising his hands in a placating manner, though grinning roguishly, "Hey, sheath your claws Beautiful. I don't mean any harm."

He huffed in annoyance at the nickname before responding, "What do you want?" This was Ichigo's family's territory, so other cats generally stayed clear of the area. This male must be here for a purpose.

To his absolute fury, the stranger obviously didn't see him as an actual threat- this evidenced by his wandering eyes and being off guard while further approaching him. His hair bristled in agitation and a growl rumbled low in his chest. When the intruder stood just out of his immediate kill zone, he crouched down to get a better look at him, "You really are a pretty lil' thing aren'tcha?"

And dammit if he didn't have the cubs to worry about he'd rip this bastard's heart straight out of his chest! _'How dare he take me so lightly!' _As soon as the fool crossed his striking range, he lashed out at the reaching hand, "Whoa!" The redhead pulled back, just barely saving his fingers. Inspecting his hand for injury, the newcomer dug his own grave with his next remark, "Hm…Feisty too! Just the way I like 'em!" Releasing the traditional screaming roar of the panther, he sprung, just barely missing due to a small blur knocking the target out of his path.

"RENJI! YOU IMBECILE! WE'RE SUPPOSED FIND HELP- NOT MAKE ENEMIES!"

Turning to see who interrupted his kill, he was met with a petite black haired female snow leopard repeatedly kicking the much larger downed tiger. This display clearly proved, at least in the panther's home village, why females were shown the same respect as their male counterparts: not out of the human concept of chivalry, but for sheer survival instinct. He smirked, enjoying the show, only slightly disappointed he hadn't gotten to the big oaf first.

The female gave a huff before setting a foot onto her victim's head in a common gesture of victory, and laughably tried to fix her hair and clothing up before turning to him with a very innocent look. It would have worked too if not for the rather frightening display of violence only moments ago, "Um, hello Panther-san! I want to apologize for my friend's rudeness; it was truly unacceptable," giving a pointed glare down at the pummeled male, "We are new to the area and need help…familiarizing ourselves with it. We don't wish to cause any problems, so we were hoping to find someone who lives in the area to avoid any territorial disputes. We humbly ask for your assistance," she finished with a demure smile and bow. By her speech and manners (sans the beat-down), it would not be off to guess the young female had descended from an aristocratic class: rather strange seeing that no normal aristocratic clan would allow her barbaric companion anywhere near an heiress.

Grimmjow carefully rose from his crouch, keeping a critical eye on the strange pair. The male posed a problem, both due to the interest he had shown in him (which he knew his overprotective mate would not tolerate) and his absolute lack of courtesy. Vibrant blue eyes darted to the female, '_Hmm…I bet she'll keep his ass in line.'_

He'd give them a chance, "Alright. I am staying in a den in this area with a lion pride," they seemed surprised at this information, though whether it was due to the fact that there were not many lion hybrids in the region or the fact that he was staying with a different race was not clear, "I will introduce you to them."

During his walk, he found he had wandered farther from the den than anticipated. He sighed, '_Well, as long as Red doesn't try anything else…' _Being the leader of his village had taught him to be polite, even when he really didn't want to, "My name is Grimmjow."

Pleased that the blue haired panther hadn't attacked again and was even willing to be civil, the snow leopard beamed, "I am Rukia and this is Renji," this said, she finally allowed the big male to get up from his defeated sprawl. Probably not the brightest idea when the tiger, Renji, sprung eagerly to his feet and ran in front of Grimmjow where he kneeled and grabbed his hand in a surprisingly gentle fashion that did not match his harsh movements and appearance, "I apologize for my earlier rudeness Grimmjow," he blinked down in astonishment at the redhead's sincerity before smiling slightly, about to accept the apology when, "I was not thinking straight and how could I?" at this he gave a smoldering stare up at him, causing the bluenette to close his mouth again, wondering where the tiger was going with his theatrics, "Why, how could anyone think straight after seeing an exotically beautiful hybrid like you?"

His jaw dropped open again, this time in a stunned gape, "It would be a great honor to have such a belle for a mate and with your fine form I'm sure you could provide numerous, equally lovely cubs. I only ask that you please consider me for such an honor," he finished in a husky, what Grimmjow believed to be his attempt at seduction, growl and intense gaze.

Grimmjow stared down at the other male in complete bewilderment at his audacity. In the background, Rukia smacked her forehead and let her hand drag slowly down her face in exasperation, _'Every time… No way, I'm not saving him this time- he is on his own!'_

_'Even before I was the leader of my village I was still shown /some/ FUCKING RESPECT! What the hell happened? When did I suddenly become some kinda prize in the eyes of every damn male I come across?' _With a sudden furious flash of blue eyes, Renji landed hard, _painfully _hard, on the ground, clueless on how he'd arrived there. Grimmjow tried his hardest not to pounce and claw his would-be-suitor to death, _'Deep breaths- in, out, in, out. Remember what Isane-san said, "A lot of stress is not good for the cubs," breath in, breath out. Stress is not good for the cubs, my cubs, Ichigo and my cubs,' _with this mantra, Grimmjow successfully kept himself from mauling the tiger, until, "So, I'll take that as a maybe?"

_'Fuck it. This should relieve my stress just fine.'_

Like a good friend, Rukia calmly turned around to inspect the nearby plant-life, humming a happy tune and diligently ignoring the screams of bloody murder coming from behind her. After all, good friends let their friends learn from their mistakes,_ 'Besides, as long as he's screaming, I know he's still alive.' _With this logic, the dainty snow leopard hybrid happily chased after a nearby bunny.

Afterward, all three hybrids began the trek back to Ichigo's family den. Renji looking significantly worse for wear sporting several bruises and claw marks, though nothing broken or fatal, and a new fear-induced respect for the smaller male, even so he asked, "Hey Grimmjow?" flinching slightly at the warning look in those blazing blue eyes, "I meant what I said before," the eyes narrowed, "Er-I mean, not that I'll pursue you, but that you really are very beautiful, strong too!" _'I would certainly know!'_ "Surely you must get proposals like that all the time. So why did you react so poorly?"

Grimmjow sighed in annoyance, but as he was about to answer, he heard a call, "GRIMM?" Instantly recognizing the sound of his worried mate's voice, he quickly rushed towards the yell, hardly noticing the newcomers following behind. Despite his mate's overprotectiveness and clinginess, he missed him already and happily dove into the outstretched arms of his beloved, nuzzling the strong chest while purring contently. He blamed hormones. Then he realized something, "What are you doing out here looking for me? I told you I'd be fine," he growled, completely ignoring the fact he'd already internally forgiven his mate. His questioning was completely ignored by his mate in favor of sending a vicious warning snarl to the redheaded tiger. Shocked at the severe reaction, the panther's ears flattened and body shivered, though not in fear, at the merciless inlaid threat. As much as he liked Ichigo's possessiveness, he didn't think Renji could withstand his mate's rage after he had endured his own as well as Rukia's. Ichigo's eyes locked onto the bigger male before him and he pulled his mate closer. He growled out gutturally, "Why are you following him?" his parting words with Shiro still fresh in mind.

The bluenette decided to quickly defuse the situation, "It's alright Ichigo," he spoke gently, but with conviction, "I am unharmed and the cubs are ok," this seemed to calm the lion hybrid down, so he continued on louder, "The girl is Rukia and her friend," when the growling resumed, he added, "who has not touched me, is Renji. They are new to the area and need help settling in," Ichigo relaxed. His kind heart could not ignore anyone in need of help. Grimmjow grinned in triumph and looked over at the two friends, "As you've probably figured out by now, this is my mate Ichigo." Renji visibly deflated causing Ichigo to growl slightly while pulling the body in his arms even closer in the unmistakable body language of 'MINE!' Rukia swiftly elbowed her companion, her deep indigo eyes flashing, "Grimmjow just saved you from a worse thrashing than both of us gave you- don't ruin it!" she hissed.

"Oh! Heh, um it's nice to meet ya' Ichigo!" Renji grinned awkwardly whilst scratching the back of his head. Ichigo responded with a slight growl once more, but since he did not smell the tiger strongly on his mate, he let it go, "Come," the lion turned around with an arm wrapped around his partner's waist, beseeching the newcomers with a jerk of his head. They quickly hurried after the pair towards their den. Since Ichigo did not want to bring them near his younger sisters until he trusted them more, they would have to stay in the new den. Poking his head into his family's den he yelled a quick, "Something came up. We'll see you all in a couple days!" receiving numerous goodbyes in response, they headed out, _'Well at least I don't have to deal with that bastard brother of mine anymore tonight.' _It was always good to count one's blessings.

Glancing back, he watched their new acquaintances bickering fiercely, that is, until the little snow leopard "accidentally" tripped her much larger companion. Ichigo shook his head in exasperation at their antics and caught his mate's eye, "This promises to be interesting," the bluenette grinned wickedly up at him. His grin mirrored his partner's perfectly; he agreed wholeheartedly, but couldn't help feeling a sense of foreboding at the two feline's random arrival, _'It's probably nothing.'_


	5. How it All Began

How It All Began

Disclaimer: I hold no legal rights/possessions of Bleach or its characters and only write for fun- no profit!

Prequel

"Stay in the village Nel. I should only be gone a few days at the most," the blue-haired male panther hybrid instructed his hyper little sister as he flew about the den making sure everything was set up for his absence. The young panther sat on her mat with her chubby little arms crossed and an enormous (adorable) pout across her visage; she didn't like this one bit, "There's plenty of food. If you get hurt, go to Isane-san. I don't mind you playing with the other cubs, but don't wander far from here, ok?" at this he finished tidying up their small home. Strapping one of his more reliable hunting daggers to his right thigh, the elder hybrid finally looked down to see the big sad hazel eyes looking up at him. Bright blue eyes winced in guilt as they witnessed the little girl's lower lip tremble, "But brudder, why do you needs to go and leave Nel? Nel will be a good girl, pwomise!"

The older panther sighed and kneeled before his ward, placing his hands on her shoulders firmly, but gently, "Nel, it's not safe out there for cubs right now. Many hybrids become aggressive this time of year and I don't want you getting hurt. Stay close to home, I'll be back in no time!" with a kiss to the crown of the little pouting girl's head, he strode away. He wasn't worried about the safety of his acquired little sister as their home was surrounded mostly by mated pairs with cubs and the elderly- those that would not strongly be influenced by the seductive pull this season wielded.

Not ten steps from his temporary home, the chief was accosted by an annual obstacle,_ 'Doesn't she know when to give up?' _violet eyes glittered up at him in lustful anticipation, _'Guess not,'_ "Hello Cirucci...did you need something?"

The answering simper easily precluded to her answer, "Why, yes. Since you're more secure in your position and the little brat that clings to you finally has a few more drops of independence, I figured we could finally do what we're destined to, hmm?" His answering expression looked far from enthused, "Is that so? Well, unfortunately I'm not willing to 'fulfill this part of my destiny' for a few more years to come," _'and never with you,'_ he finished silently. The female panther scowled in displeasure, "Argh! Are you serious? By the time you're ready I'll no longer be capable of birthing anything!"

"Well, I suppose you should find someone else then," the male nonchalantly responded to the raving violette as he darted away. The female panther could easily be considered lovely as well as strong, but beyond that they were completely wrong for each other. She despised cubs (which really made no sense by how much she seemed to want some of her own), most notably his own sister! Not to mention Cirucci, along with the rest of his admirers here, did not have the genuine, instinctual attraction brought forth through the target's scent; they simply sought the prestige of being the leader's mate, or even taking his position through mating. Many would add that the bluenette being remarkably gorgeous also swayed their "hearts". Blue with green accent ears drooped at that line of thought before the hybrid steeled himself,_ 'Fuck 'em, no one's using me; I'll die mateless before ever considering someone like that!'_

With a merciful few solicitations more, he managed to escape the territory of his village unmolested; he'd gotten pretty good at it over the years, but unfortunately as many admirers took mates, they seemed to be steadily replaced by new ones. The elders used this as yet another reason to find a mate of his own, but he remained as stubborn as ever. Some would think the blue panther unfairly judged the hybrids that sought his hand, but one ever-present, reliable fact of his kind backed his view: true mates are always equally, instinctually, uncontrollably, attracted to one another. Not once had he felt this for another being, and though many pursuers were eager, all were in control of themselves.

Grimmjow only had a bit further to trek to be completely left alone, at least by anyone he knew. He wasn't worried about getting lost, as he'd always been an adept hunter, a tracker. No, the only thing he had to worry about was the presence of other cats. As much as he loathed to admit, his wasn't the largest or most powerful breed of hybrid, and his build reflected the speed, stealth, and climbing prowess his kind were known for. Still, he most definitely wasn't a weakling or coward, "Now that I'm out of the range of those power-seeking fuckers, now what?" he sighed.

His instincts had something in mind.

A sudden scent took his senses captive: strong, masculine, promising of its source's power, while still with an undertone of sweetness foretelling of kindness, loyalty, and caring. Unconsciously, eyelids drooped to half-mast over suddenly hazy eyes, every muscle relaxing in pleasure to the delicious aroma, tail spiraling behind him, and a purr rising from his chest. His instincts demanded he seek out its origin. Only after walking straight into a clearing he'd never ventured to before did Grimmjow's higher brain functions start working again, _'Whoa! No! Sorry baser instincts, but I don't want a mate right now!' _

Honestly, he felt very disoriented. He'd _never _had an instinctual attraction to a potential mate and the loss of control made someone like Grimmjow, who always preferred to be in control, very uncomfortable. It was rather ironic really, since a small part of him held sadness for each season gone by without ever experiencing true, primal attraction for another. Now that he felt it, he wanted nothing more than to escape and claim ignorance once more. The blue panther turned tail to flee (though he'd furiously deny doing so if asked), but the sound of someone crashing through the foliage at his back made him freeze. The smell much stronger now; it was _him._

A sudden growl issued forth from the new presence, "It's definitely you, no doubt. Mate, _my_ mate," at this, he fled.

Grimmjow hated himself slightly for running, but he knew by the way his entire body _burned, _that if the other hybrid caught him he wouldn't be able to resist- the urge far too strong to do anything other than give in, indulge. He whined as a stronger flare of heat lashed at his lower belly. Few feline hybrids could normally match his speed in the dense forest, though unfortunately, the growling male chasing after him seemed to be in that group at the moment, the sounds of snapping branches and loud padding of feet clearly too close to hide from to deny. It also didn't help that his brain felt pretty addled right now and his animal-side demanded he stop this foolishness and mate the desirable being.

With his thoughts completely muddled and panicked he never thought to climb to the safety found in high branches. This turned out to be the young leader's undoing as he came upon a wall: a sharp, jagged wall of rocks that would in no way be an easy obstacle to climb. Turns out, he might not have the time to- Grimmjow turned to see the pursuing male for the first time.

As his eyes scanned over the broad and powerful form of an orange haired lion hybrid, his lust only heightened. He had to stop this before it grew out of control, "No! I don't want to mate! Leave!"

A rich, condescending chuckle reached his perked up ears, "Stop denying yourself; everything in you is craving relief," deep gold-brown eyes narrowed in pleasure at his cornered prey.

"What the hell do you know!?" The bluenette cried out, ocean eyes darting around for an escape route, _'There!' _Partially obscured_, _thick vining covered a portion of the rock behind him; it would be much easier than scaling the bare rock.

"I know that you are feeling precisely as I do, and after this meeting, no one else will be able to satisfy either of us," the orange newcomer drew closer as he spoke. He hadn't noticed the vine, only that his future mate darted behind an outcropping, not that it would help any. By the time the smug lion made his way around the protuberance of stone, he found the panther halfway up the wall. Flabbergast, he snarled at the disobedience his submissive showed. Once the smaller male reached the top, he glanced down at his pursuer. Ochre eyes pierced into blue, showing their unyielding determination, _'This is far from over.'_ Although still overwhelmed by the entirely foreign situation, blue glared back in challenge, _'You'll never get me.' _ The lion never had much talent for climbing, so he would have to find another path to the beautiful hybrid, _'I know he's the one. I won't let him get away. He's mine!'_

* * *

><p>After running far from the ledge and the orange lion, Grimmjow climbed into a large tree and collapsed onto a wide branch, gasping for breath. After that encounter, he wouldn't risk resting on the ground. He felt humiliated, in the larger male's presence, his body wanted nothing more that the bend to all fours and lift his tail in invitation. While he could still control that, he couldn't stop his ears from flattening submissively while he near the other. He had nothing against submissives, actually, over the years he had learned that many could be particularly terrifying in their own right. He just never imagined- well actually, he'd never tried to envision what his mate and family life would be like. He usually put such thoughts aside. Now that he knew his destined mate would be dominant over him, he felt down right <em>pissed<em>. He'd always been the dominant cub in a group. He'd strived to be leader and came out on top above all the rest. He'd taken his job as leader with the utmost pride and responsibility: heading hunting trips, mediating major disputes, accounting for all of the cubs, seeing that the needs of his people were being met.

Now, he was expected to lay contentedly under another, obey and serve some male who had never even earned his respect, _'Fuck that!' _It was pretty obvious how the other male would treat him if he couldn't even respect Grimmjow's hesitance. _'Hell, that wasn't even courting, that was demanding,' _He scowled when his instincts swooned, '_You shut the fuck up! It's not happening!' _If it had a physical shape, he's sure it'd be smirking mockingly right now, _'I am you. I want what you want,' _He growled in frustration before retorting, _'Well, I don't want some overly controlling bastard lording over me!' _

_'Mate not like that, wouldn't choose mate like that,' _He sure hoped so, he'd feel very betrayed if his subconscious wanted something every other part of his being rebelled against. Although, he still had trouble coming to terms with the submissive part. He groaned in exasperation as he curled up and tried to sleep some of the heat off.

Waking up that night, the panther warily climbed down from his perch, _'Just one day, one day out of the village and I get into this mess,' _If it were anyone else, he would have just attacked or run and that would be it. This was different though, now, he couldn't even trust himself around the strong, dominant, _sexy, _and with that he promptly halted that train of thought.

His main goal now centered on returning to his home village, maybe he could even convince the elders to start to the next site sooner. Something in his chest clenched painfully at that thought, but he simply ignored it. He had more responsibility and loyalty to his home and people than to some arrogant lion. His libido just didn't seem to understand that.

Stooping at a river, the panther purred as he cleaned his face and drank, not realizing how thirsty he'd become during all the stress. The bluenette decided on a quick bath too, as it would help to hide his scent while he made his way back. He swam against the lay current for awhile, enjoying the motions and coolness of the water against his flushed skin. The heat would only continue to build up until either he rutted with someone, or the season ended. Swimming also reminded him that he still needed to teach Nel how to maneuver in the water. She'd always been leery of bodies of water for some reason, but it really was a necessary skill.

He figured he'd stayed long enough and stood from the bank. Shaking himself off a bit, Grimmjow got dressed and oriented himself back towards the village, before stopping, _'Alright, I doubt the lion's given up, but I don't smell him…he either found another way up here, or is staking out down there, figuring I have to go back that way, which would be the fastest route back, but he was also very persistent and FUCK I hate being the prey!' _He'd find another route; it'd be a bitch climbing back down anyways.

* * *

><p>It'd taken a bit of walking, but Ichigo had finally found a steep path up to where he'd last seen the panther. A part of him felt guilty for pursuing the other male so relentlessly, but the larger part of knew importance in claiming him now. Panthers were not common around here, most moved around constantly and according to his parents, a tribe of the hybrids set up in this area every few years depending on the weather. If he didn't claim the male soon, he probably wouldn't see him again for a few years if ever again. Knowing him to be his mate, that was unacceptable. This thought overrode every lesson he'd received on courting an intended. If they were truly meant to be, as he knew in his very soul, everything would work out in the end.<p>

* * *

><p>Grimmjow smiled as he finally caught a glimpse of his village a distance away. It was much easier to catch sight of now that there were so few trees around. It'd suck being around the dishonest bastards 'interested in him', but he supposed it'd be better than being caught by the bastard honestly and uncontrollably interested in him (and he reluctantly admitted to himself that he felt that same attraction). He could come back to this region when he was ready to mate, but for now, he'd avoid it. He just had to cross a distance of safari now and he'd be home free.<p>

Unfortunately for the young panther, the safari had always been prime hunting grounds for lions, as they can blend right in.

He'd been jogging since nighttime and the sun now sat high in the sky. The heat inside only increased as the sun shone down on him. Merely the brush of long grass along his bare skin set nerve endings tingling. He grinned in relief as a water hole came into view. He could use another break. Hot and thirsty, the blue-eyed panther bent down for a drink.

Feeling immensely more refreshed already, he stood to finally finish his trek, only to have two muscular arms wrap around his waist from behind and a nose nuzzle his shoulder happily. The now familiar scent of his pursuer was so strong the blue panther's legs almost gave out underneath him. _'This wasn't supposed to happen! How had the damned lion known I'd come this way? And how the hell had I not sensed him-the water!'_ He still tried to squirm desperately away, until something unexpected happened. Teeth, without sinking in, lightly held the back of his neck. Every nerve was hyper-sensitized, and with so much contact-All protests flew from his head at this point. He couldn't speak. He couldn't think. He could only bask in the most wonderful scent he'd ever experienced and feel the strong body pressed up to his back, the dominance radiating off from the hold of arms and teeth.

If he had the brain capacity at the moment, Grimmjow would be immensely offended at the commanding actions. Instead, he just mewled, hips pushing back and tail lifting. This awarded him a loving growl, lick to the indents marking his neck, and an eager grinding of hips into his backside by what he could feel, was a very well endowed male. The continual humping actually began to push the fabric of his pants inside him a bit, **'**_NO! Mate not mounting right. Show!' _at this point,he was completely helpless to follow every order his instincts dictated. He began to bend over. The orange lion growled at what he assumed to be another escape, but immediately quieted when he saw his intended's hands reaching towards the ground and his back arching. He'd tracked the lovely cat in his grasp without rest for this opportunity. Now he'd finally take the panther as his own.

Now on all fours, the leaner one began to whine while his hips swayed back. Rational thought had completely abandoned the panther. He seemed to forget that he didn't want this, that he was desperately trying to escape this outcome only minutes ago. Now, the only thing he wanted was the hybrid behind him to be in him _now_. A sudden absence of warmth at his back made him anxious. Blue ears twitched at the sound of rustling and with a jerk, his bottom half felt cooler with the removal of clothing. That being the only warning before two hands gripped his bottom and pulled lightly tanned cheeks apart. Then something warm and wet and _good_ began probing his untouched entrance, "Nyaaa!" his face reddened further as the rough appendage pushed inward getting him wet and ready for the taking that would hopefully soon occur.

He then felt something longer and far more solid: fingers. Panting and mewling grew louder as they pressed further into the overwhelmed bluenette. Then two on each side pulled him apart and a much larger and hotter appendage pressed to his hole. Panting turned into gasping as the rod pushed in all the way, stretching him further than ever. The panther squirmed a bit in discomfort at the completely new sensation as his partner tried to soothe him with nuzzling and kissing to his back, shoulders, and neck. He'd never once imagined himself in this position before encountering the lion: on hands and knees, thighs spread and tail lifted invitingly to the male behind him, mounting him and buried so deeply inside he felt it press into body parts he was never aware of. He didn't even care. It all felt _too good_.

As good as the joining felt at a standstill, Grimmjow's heat-driven body craved a bit more friction. With a whine, he pushed back into the other male, impaling even himself further. This action met with a pleasured growl and a small complying thrust, which soon begot a rhythm of thrusts. At a particularly harsh jab, a yowl ripped from the panther's throat and he buried his face in the damp grass of the clearing. He could barely comprehend his partner's growls as words with the blood rushing and heart thundering so violently in his ears, but when his clouded mind figured it out, he an odd mix of excitement and anger, "Mine, Mine, _Mine, _**Mine**!"

The bluenette's sharp claws began to tear at the grass desperately, his whole body building up to the release it'd been craving for. Distantly, he knew nothing good could come from such possessiveness over him the lion hybrid was clearly displaying, but he lacked the ability to string a sentence together at the moment, much less problem solve. Then he felt teeth at the juncture of his neck and somewhere in his mind, he knew where this was going, "Nyaa, N-n-no! Not…ugh…there! Sto-ahhh!" The unrelenting lion had finally struck the spot that would make the panther scream, cutting off any protests as his beautiful prize went into convulsions as his teeth sunk into the soft, lightly tanned skin, claiming what was his as he shot his seed deep within the tight warmth.

* * *

><p>Grimmjow felt warm and comfortable- more so than he ever remembered being. His sleepy mind wondered if he had gotten a new fur that was wrapped around him-and breathing…Blue eyes popped wide open when the situation truly dawned on him, '<em>FUCK!' <em>his instincts purred happily in agreement, _'Yes, mate fuck good, mark too!' _His hand came up to the side of his neck to confirm what he dreaded and felt a large bite mark_. _His brain shut down for a second; the very thing he had been trying to avoid- he could deal with a rut, perhaps even with courting afterwards, but the fact his partner went ahead and marked him- claimed him forever without his consent- when he had expressly, desperately told him that he did not want to mate-

Needless to say, Grimmjow was far from pleased. He sharply elbowed the hybrid behind him and succeeded in rolling away from the larger's grasp when he recoiled in pain. Ochre eyes stared at him in confusion and annoyance before speaking in a sleep rough voice, "That's not generally how one wakes their mate."

Blue eyes flared in rage, "You are not my mate!" the panther tried to stand, but found to his humiliation that he couldn't; he was too sore. Instead, he quickly covered himself with what remained of his clothing, wincing every time his bottom bore his weight. His ire only heightened when he saw the orange lion _smirking_ at his predicament, "That seems like proof of the contrary to me," the panther's poisonous glare worsened.

"Well, since you can't seem to walk at the moment because of our "not-mating" I'll just have to carry you!" the lion eagerly approached him

"Don't you dare! Leave! I will recover and return to my home by myself!"

"Who said anything about you returning to your home? We're mates now, so you live with me,"

_'This is a nightmare! It has to be!'_

When lifting up the panther bridal style nearly led to the loss of his sight, the red head swung the smaller body over his shoulder.

Ichigo did his best to ignore the literal kicking and screaming coming from his unwilling passenger, mentally repeating like a mantra, _'We're meant to be, it'll work out. He is my mate; I will convince him of that!'_


End file.
